Safe Haven
by maybeweare
Summary: A teen Snow White and a pregnant Regina are on the run from King Leopold's abuse. Three young runaways race to rescue the princess, not expecting that the stepmother who stole her away is really her only protector. The Dark One plans to use this to his advantage. Sequel to "Leaving."
1. Prologue

**Sequel to "Leaving." It would probably help to read that story first, but it is considerably darker and contains some adult themes. This story will be a lot tamer.**

**So, if you're skipping "Leaving," here's what you need to know: Leopold has been abusing Regina since they married, and began abusing Snow as well starting on her 16th birthday. Regina finds out what's happened to Snow and decides that they have to run away. Especially once Regina learns that she's pregnant and is terrified that she'll have a daughter for Leopold to mistreat.**

* * *

The King's men flooded the marketplace on horseback, seemingly out of nowhere. They raced down the alleys, overturning carts and nearly knocking people out of their way, tossing papers that cascaded down on the crowds. The dark haired girl with a basket of vegetables dangling from her arm was nearly a casualty, had the young man beside not pulled her to safety.

"A message from your King," one of the men cried out, dismounting and climbing the stairs of the Town Hall. "It was discovered this afternoon that Queen Regina has kidnapped Princess Snow White." He paused for the expected gasp from the crowd and received the appropriate reaction. "The Queen has gone mad with jealousy over the Princess's superior beauty, and the King believes her intentions towards his daughter are evil. He requests the help of all those in his kingdom to rescue the Princess and bring the Queen to justice. Intelligence as to their whereabouts will be richly rewarded. King Leopold offers 100,000 crowns to he who recovers the Princess safely, and 50,000 crowns for the capture of the Queen, dead or alive."

The dark haired girl stooped to pick up a paper that featured detailed drawings of the missing royals. "I find it hard to believe that she would be jealous of anyone," she whispered to the boy who had saved her, gesturing towards the striking portrait of the Queen.

"The Princess is not just anyone," he replied, studying the other picture much more carefully. He glanced up at the girl beside him, eyes gleaming. "We should save her, Red."

Red folded the picture and tucked it into her basket. "You're the son of a shepherd, not some prince or knight."

"That's exactly why," he explained, a smile spreading across his features. "A princess would never fall in love with a commoner _unless_ he saves her life."

Red rolled her eyes. "David, I think we're a little too old for fairytales."

* * *

Regina couldn't fight it anymore. They'd been walking for hours, dusk already settling on the forest. Her ankle had nearly healed in the week since her husband had shoved her so hard that she'd twisted it trying to keep her balance, but the constant movement was aggravating the injury once again. She pressed on, but her limping was becoming more and more noticeable, and finally Snow stopped and turned to her.

"We need to stop for the night, Regina."

The Queen shook her head, but her ankle faltered under her weight as she tried to walk on. "I'm fine."

"You always say that," Snow said, ducking under Regina's arm and allowing her stepmother to use her as a crutch. "I know it's not true."

Regina reluctantly leaned on the girl. "All right, I'm not fine. But we can't stop here, Snow. We haven't made it nearly far enough. We'll be best off if we press on through the night and rest tomorrow."

"You can't." Snow looked at her honestly and Regina cursed herself for being so weak. She let the Princess guide her down to the mossy ground beside a nearby tree.

"Then you have to keep running, Snow. You'll make it much faster without me."

Snow simply sat down beside her and refused to move. "We are doing this together," she insisted. "I won't leave you."

Regina fell silent, not bothering to argue further. She knew the Princess's rarely-seen stubborn streak, the one that had gotten Regina stuck in this marriage in the first place. And besides that, the night was falling fast and she couldn't bear the thought of Snow wandering through the dark forest alone.

She didn't want to be alone herself, but she wasn't about to admit that.

Snow fell asleep easily, exhausted from the day's journey, her head falling heavily on Regina's shoulder. The older woman wrapped her arms around the girl for warmth and comfort. She couldn't sleep herself, not with the rustlings of animals too near. Not with this girl who she'd spent so long hating depending on her. She tilted her head back against the tree trunk, looking up through the leafy branches at the stars.

This running away had been a terrible mistake, she told herself. She didn't know how she was going to protect her stepdaughter, or even feed her, or where they were going. She didn't know the first thing about taking care of anyone, not even herself.

She touched her fingers lightly to her stomach, closing her eyes on the stars and wondering how, if she didn't even know how to take care of a sixteen-year-old, she was ever going to take care of a baby.

* * *

**More to come! I'd love feedback, and I could really use someone to bounce ideas off of as I figure out where this is going. If you're interested, let me know!**


	2. In the Company of Wolves

**A/N: Just a few notes on this AU as it continues to develop.**

**Regina doesn't have magic. Rumple helped her get rid of Cora, but she cut ties with him when she found out that she couldn't use magic to bring Daniel back.**

**Red is aware that she's the wolf and has it under control. Mainly because there are only so many plot lines I can stuff into this thing.**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Snow woke to birdsong and sunlight, finding herself nestled against her sleeping stepmother on the forest floor. It took a moment before she remembered why they were there with a frown. Father would be so disappointed. Father would be so worried, but she wasn't supposed to let herself think like that.

She got up quietly, trying not to wake Regina, and picked a direction at random, walking slowly as she searched for food or water. There were plenty of animals, of course, but the princess was weaponless and even if she'd had the means to kill, she knew she couldn't. Not when these creatures trusted her as implicitly as they always did, creeping out of their burrows and nests to get a look at her, a bluebird alighting on her shoulder briefly before flying on. No, what she needed was a blackberry bush or some edible roots. Something that wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Does anyone know where I might find something to eat?" she asked the forest around her.

She'd never told anyone about her strange ability, about the small bit of magic she'd discovered she had as a child. She couldn't talk _with_ animals, that would be ridiculous, but she could talk _to_ them.

It had only failed one time, with her runaway horse on the day she met Regina, and for that reason she'd never trusted horses again.

A doe stepped out from between the trees and met the Princess's eyes, dipping her head in a bow. "Thank you," Snow replied, following the deer deeper into the forest. The trees grew thicker here, slowing her progress, and the doe paused to let her catch up. Snow was just a few feet behind when an arrow zipped past her, and she screamed as the deer collapsed. She turned to run, but froze when she saw a wolf blocking her path.

Footsteps came up fast behind her, and a male voice. "Are you hit?"

Snow twisted back around to see a man approaching with a bow in his hand. He had a curly mop of hair and the beginnings of a beard, and was dressed in so much fur that he almost seemed some sort of animal himself. His eyes, however, were distinctly human and filled with concern.

"Are you hit?" he repeated, looking her over.

"No," Snow said after she had a moment to let the question sink in. "You killed her." She gestured towards the fallen deer.

The man left her side and went down on one knee beside the animal, carefully withdrawing the bloody arrow. Snow watched, surprised, as he said something too softly for her to hear. It almost looked as though he was praying, and she caught the glimmer of a tear before it disappeared into his beard.

"What are you saying?" she asked, forgetting her fear even as the wolf came up beside her.

"I'm thanking her," he said simply, rising to his feet again and turning his attention back to the girl. "Are you lost?"

Snow glanced over her shoulder, trying to remember which direction she'd come in. "I might be."

He nodded, bending to pick up the deer and sling it over his shoulder. "There's a road just a mile beyond my home, and knights have been up and down it constantly for two days. I can bring you there."

"No!" Snow cried out a little too sharply, realizing too late that she'd given herself away.

He just gave her an unexpected smile, as though he knew what it was to be on the run. "Food and water, then, before you continue your journey?"

Snow cast another look over her shoulder, although she couldn't be sure which way would get her to Regina. "My stepmother's still out there."

He shifted the animal on his shoulder. "What's a stepmother?"

"Someone who isn't your mother but takes care of you even so."

The man glanced down at the wolf and nodded at it. "Scout out the woman," he said, and the wolf took off into the forest. "I'll take you to my home and then go back for her," he explained to Snow, beginning to walk away.

Snow hurried along beside him. "Animals understand you?" she asked, reaching up to stroke the nose of the doe hanging down the man's back. She felt terribly about the deer dying in an effort to help her, but she couldn't help wondering if maybe the creature's goal had been to lead her to this man.

* * *

"You know this is madness."

Red tucked the dagger into her belt and rolled her eyes at her grandmother. "I know. But someone has to make sure David doesn't get himself killed."

Granny stepped forward and set her hands firmly on Red's shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Is this really what you want?"

"He's my best friend. He always has been." Red was unable to hide the sadness that played across her face. Of course this wasn't what she wanted. Not if the goal of David's journey was to find somebody else.

Granny pulled her in for an embrace before reaching down for the red cloak flung carelessly over a nearby chair. She fastened it around her granddaughter's neck. "Sometimes a grand adventure is all it takes to realize that what you want is back where you started," she mused, pulling the hood up over Red's dark hair.

"You always know just what to say, Granny." Red smiled, although that sadness was still there in her eyes.

* * *

Rumplestiltskin ran his fingers over the gilded edge of the mirror, stroking it to life. "Show me the Queen," he said, now tenting his fingers together as his reflection disappeared and the surface filled with a view of the forest. "Oh, Regina, you make this so easy." The young Queen, alone, rose to her feet, hand against a tree for support, and took a few limping steps forward before her ankle gave out beneath her. "So very, very easy," he added with a cackle as Regina crumpled to the ground.

He let the mirror return to normal, turning his attention to the torn paper he'd tacked up to the wall. He'd tossed the advertised reward for the Princess in the fire, unable to keep from smiling as he watched her picture burn. It was an enjoyable moment, but he had no use for Snow White and certainly no need for more money. His focus was on the second portrait, on the face of the one he'd been waiting on for centuries.

Regina had gotten away before, but now she was weak, now she had reason to make him a deal.


	3. Damsel in Distress

**A/N: I'm going away for a bit and don't know when I'll be updating, so here's a slightly longer chapter to hold you over. **

**Red's a little out of character in these next few chapters, but I hope you'll excuse that since she's younger than on the show.**

* * *

Regina wasn't worried when she woke up to find Snow White gone. She'd been up almost all night, her racing mind keeping her from sleep. There was no chance anything bad could have happened to Snow in the few hours of fitful sleep Regina had managed, not without waking the Queen. She imagined the girl had just gone off in search of food; it had been almost a day since their last meal at the palace and Regina's hunger was the first thing that hit her.

She stood slowly, grabbing on to the tree to guide her. Her ankle still ached, and when she glanced down at it she saw how badly it had swollen from the previous day's walking.

She tested it, wincing with each step. There was no chance she'd be able to walk much today. If only Snow wasn't so afraid of horses, they could ride, but Regina couldn't begin to imagine how they'd procure them. Her ankle gave out beneath her before she could finish the thought, and she collapsed on top of it, crying out softly at the shooting pain.

She dug her fingers into the rough bark of the nearest tree and hauled herself up again, keeping her weight off her ankle. She stood too fast, finding herself lightheaded. She could feel the effects of the morning sickness even though her stomach was empty, and she clung to the tree, realizing that it had been more than a full day since she'd eaten.

"Snow," she called out, looking around wildly and only succeeding in making herself dizzier. The girl was nowhere in sight. "Snow!"

She still wasn't panicking, or at least that's what she told herself. The panic didn't set in until a man pushed his way through the brush. "I have the girl," he told her.

Regina shook her head vigorously. This man was clearly not in the royal livery, but that almost made things worse. She knew the worst Leopold could do. The idea that this stranger had taken Snow from her, though, had too many terrifying possibilities.

"I'll bring you to her," he said, coming closer.

Regina reluctantly submitted, letting go of the tree and not struggling when the man picked her up. She couldn't run, couldn't fight. She had to take a chance that he was telling the truth and that he'd take her back to Snow. "Who are you?" she asked, resting her throbbing head against his shoulder.

"The company I keep doesn't care much for names," he replied, and Regina didn't even bother to try to figure out what he meant. She fought as hard as she could against the lightheadedness. "When I'm in the company of men," the man continued, "they usually call me the Huntsman."

"Why did you take her?" Regina's voice went faint, and before the Huntsman could respond her consciousness slipped away.

* * *

"I know you're following me, Red." David didn't look back, just waiting for the girl to catch up with him. "You aren't going to talk me out of this, you know."

Red fell in step with him, pulling back her cape so he could catch the glint of her dagger in the sun. "I'm not here to stop you. I'm going with you."

David glanced at the dagger and then up at Red's face. "I don't want to have to worry about you."

Red smiled at that. So he did still care, on some level. Still, her answer was firm. "I don't need protecting, David. I can take care of myself. The only damsel in distress you need to worry about is your princess."

David's eyes went soft at the mention of Snow White, and he touched a hand to the pocket where he'd tucked away her picture. "I suppose your tracking skills might come in handy," he conceded.

"If we can get our hands on something of hers, I'll see what I can do." Red focused her gaze on the path in front of them, not wanting to meet David's eyes anymore. "Just promise you aren't going to forget about me when you're a prince."

His hand closed over hers, and Red was glad for the gloves that separated them. "You're my oldest friend, Red. I could never forget about you."

Red didn't respond immediately, just walking beside him in silence for several minutes. It wasn't until he dropped her hand, uncomfortable about the prolonged contact, that she spoke up. "Do you remember those games we used to play back when you first started loving all those stories about knights and princes?"

David grinned at her, and she looked up at him even though she couldn't quite bring herself to smile. "I guess it's a good thing you're with me, then. As I recall, you were always the one charging in to rescue me."

Red nodded, pulling her cloak tighter around her even though the day was sunny and warm. "I was always the princess," she added quietly, but if David heard her he didn't respond.

* * *

Snow watched as the Huntsman knelt down at the far side of the cave to speak to a few of the wolves. She'd been wary when he'd brought her here rather than a proper house, especially once he lit the fire and she could see the pack for the first time, but they'd been nothing but gentle and kind to her. They'd even let her play with their pups while the Huntsman was out finding Regina, and for the first time in a long time she felt really, truly happy.

Then the Huntsman had returned with her stepmother and worry had resumed.

Regina still hadn't come to, and Snow sat by the animal pelts that served as a bed and pressed a cool wet cloth to her forehead as she watched the Huntsman and the wolves. Two wolves got up and left the cave in response to his request, and then he returned to his human guests, crouching by the foot of the bed to inspect Regina's ankle.

"Do you know why it happens?" Snow asked. "Why we can talk to animals?"

The Huntsman glanced up at her as if surprised to hear another human voice. "I couldn't tell you. I've been able to for as long as I can remember."

"And why do you live here?"

He smiled, shaking his head just slightly. "You certainly ask a lot of questions, don't you?"

Snow blushed, looking back down at Regina. "I don't mean to be rude."

"I'm sure your manners are far more refined than mine." One of the wolves trotted back in carrying a plant between his teeth, roots and dirt and all, and the Huntsman took it and thanked him. "My parents discovered my talent when I was rather young." He began to crush the leaves of the plant as he talked, and Snow glanced back up to see him apply them to Regina's injured ankle. "They were frightened, so they abandoned me in the woods."

"That's terrible!"

The Huntsman ignored her comment, focusing on binding up Regina's foot with cloth. "I couldn't find them or any other humans, but I came across a wolf and begged her to give me somewhere to sleep for the night." He tied off the cloth neatly and reached out to the second wolf as he returned with another plant. "Here I've been ever since."

"I guess it's a good thing I never told anyone what I can do," Snow said.

The Huntsman fell silent again, snapping the stem of the second plant. Snow could smell its strong perfume and turned her head to avoid it when the man came closer and held it just under Regina's nose.

"I much prefer smelling salts." Snow pressed the wet cloth over her nose and mouth to fight the smell and looked back just in time to see Regina's eyes open.

"Snow," Regina whispered, blinking up at her blearily. "You're all right."

"I'm just fine." Snow gently guided her stepmother into a sitting position, lowering the cloth as the Huntsman went to discard the plant outside. The Princess took the dipper from the bucket of water she'd been working with and raised it to Regina's lips. "How are you?"

Regina drank gratefully. "I feel terrible," she admitted, but her eyes lit up when Snow offered her an apple from the Huntsman's makeshift pantry. "I was so scared I'd lost you."

Snow wrapped her arms around Regina, stroking her hair as the older woman ate. "The Huntsman says we can stay here until you're feeling better."

Regina glanced around, a little surprised to find herself in a cave and letting out a gasp when she saw the wolves. She met the Huntsman's eye as he returned. "I apologize for assuming you'd hurt Snow."

The Huntsman shrugged, crouching down beside them once again. "Man is a treacherous creature," he replied, his eyes lighting on the dark bruise on Regina's cheek, the last one Leopold had given her. He held out a sheet of paper, and Snow reached out to take it.

Snow and Regina stared in silence at their pictures and then at the lettering below Regina's. _Dead or Alive_.


	4. Escape Route

**A/N: I have been terribly remiss and haven't thanked ouatevilregal8 for her excellent idea-bouncing. I really had no idea where this was going when I wrote the first chapter, but her encouragement and thoughts have gotten me to the point of having almost everything mapped out.**

**Thank you to all the readers as well. The reviews/follows/faves are awesome.**

**Note for this chapter: I'm basing Gaston more on the movie character than the kind of boring OUAT guy. Everything else Belle-related is based on the show. This takes place several years before her OUAT storyline begins.**

* * *

"_The Science of True Love_? What are you reading that for?" Gaston held the book aloft, flipping through it.

"It's interesting, that's all." Belle snatched it back and folded her arms, bringing it to her chest.

"You don't need a book to tell you about love," Gaston said, placing a heavy and unwanted hand on Belle's shoulder. "I will tutor you personally."

Belle shrugged him off of her, taking a few steps away. "How many times do I have to tell you—"

"That you don't love me and never will?" Gaston finished. "Or maybe it's that you don't want to live your whole life in this town. Or that you have no desire to be someone's wife. Which excuse is it today?"

"It doesn't matter," Belle said with a sigh. "You never learn."

"I'm persistent." Gaston gave her a smarmy smile. "Most girls like that."

"No, they don't. And anyway, I'm not most girls." Belle turned and quickly walked in the other direction. She waited until she turned the corner to shudder in disgust. Gaston had asked her father for her hand a year ago, and since then he'd proposed to her three times and cornered her like this at least once a week. At first, it had merely been annoying, but ever since he'd drunkenly kissed her and she'd had to physically fight him off of her, she felt unsettled after each encounter.

She needed to get out of here, away from the suffocating atmosphere of the small town. Away from the father who was growing more and more irritated with each proposal she turned down. Away to do something that mattered.

She made her way home, hardly noticing the papers stuck up on every tree and building, the Princess and the Queen staring blankly out from each one.

* * *

"What's our plan of attack?" Red finally asked, ending the day-long silent treatment that David didn't seem to have noticed.

They were sitting side by side near their small fire, the pictures of the Princess and the Queen set out on the ground in front of them. "I don't have one," he said, not taking his eyes from the picture.

Red couldn't help scoffing at that. David was always rushing into things without thinking them through, she knew that, but she couldn't believe that he'd set out in search of the missing Princess without any thought of where to start. If it had been up to her, she'd have maps, she'd calculate the distance the royals could travel in a day, she'd have some sort of idea where to start.

David looked up at her sharply, his tone harsher than he usually took with Red. "Laugh at me all you want, but I know that true love will guide me to her. I don't know how, but I will find her."

Red reached for the paper, shaking it in front of his face. "You've never even met her. How do you know that she's your true love?" She knew she was getting louder and louder, nearly shouting now, but she wasn't about to stop. "What if it isn't Snow White? It could be any princess." She crumpled the paper into a ball and pitched it into the fire. "Or maybe it's the girl you've been planning to marry since you were five."

David was staring at the fire in shock, watching the paper go black. Red wrenched his chin in her direction and leaned in, bringing her lips hard against his.

She'd imagined their first kiss for years, but it wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be soft and sweet. David should have been wrapping his arms around her, but instead he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away.

"Did that feel like true love's kiss to you?" David asked, and Red rose to her feet.

"True love's kiss is a myth, David," Red replied, her voice surprisingly calm. "I'm real." With that, she turned and walked off into the forest, willing herself not to cry until she was far away from him. When she could just barely make out the fire, she stopped, hugging her cloak around her and letting the tears come.

"Impressive display, dearie."

Red spun around to face a man who hadn't been there just a moment ago. If a man was even what he was. She'd never seen anyone like him. Even in the dusk she could see the odd hue of his skin and the eerie darkness of his eyes. "Who are you?"

"A friend," he said, dropping into an exaggerated bow. "Rumplestiltskin, here to give you the thing you most desire."

Red wiped her eyes with her cloak. "There is nothing that can make someone love you who doesn't," she said skeptically.

He grinned, reaching up to touch her, but Red took a step back. "You're smart, but so blind. Your shepherd boy does love you, dearie, and once you clear away all this princess nonsense he'll realize it." With a flourish, Rumplestiltskin produced a ring with an emerald that was faintly glowing.

Red looked at the ring and back up at the man. "What, are you suggesting I propose to him? Because I don't think that's going to work."

He laughed, sending a shiver up Red's spine. "This ring, in the hands of your friend, will guide you to the Princess. When you find her, you will speak my name and summon me, and I'll make sure she breaks his heart." This time when Rumplestiltskin reached up to stroke her face, Red didn't pull back. "And you, my dear, will be there to pick up the pieces."

Red reached for the ring, but Rumplestiltskin held it away from her.

"There is, of course, the matter of payment."

Red shrugged. "I don't have anything of value."

"Yet." He laughed again, and Red grimaced at the sound. "Where you find the Princess, you'll also find the Queen. You will make sure your little shepherd doesn't harm her, and you will deliver her to me. Once I have her, you will turn the Princess over to the King and collect your reward, and you'll tell him that the Queen escaped."

Red considered for a moment. As much as she didn't want to get tangled up in magic, especially of the dark variety, the plan sounded flawless. She and David could live together off of the reward money, the Princess would be safely returned home, and the Queen saved from execution. "And there's no catch?" she asked, just to calm her lingering doubt.

"None at all." He held out the ring again, studying Red's face. "Do we have a deal, dearie?"

* * *

Snow held the paper in shaking hands, staring at the letters until they seemed to swim together. "No," she said softly, "there must be some mistake. Why would he reward anyone for killing you?"

Regina didn't respond, just meeting Snow's eyes with a slight smile.

"It says you kidnapped me! Why is he making up these lies?" Tears welled up in Snow's eyes. "Why would he want you dead if you're having his child?"

Regina took the paper out of the Princess's hand and set it face down on the floor of the cave. "Because I haven't told him," she said, pulling Snow closer to her.

"You must! He won't let anyone hurt you if he knows."

"If he knew, he would stop at nothing until he got her. He can never know." Regina pressed Snow's head down to rest against her shoulder. "I just have to keep away from him until she's born."

Snow allowed herself to relax into her stepmother. "Why are you so sure it's a girl?"

"Because luck has never been on my side," Regina answered grimly. She looked over at the Huntsman who had been sitting by them the whole time, utterly silent. "Thank you for helping us, but we can't stay here. You don't want to get involved in this."

He glanced down at her bandaged ankle. "You're not going anywhere for a few days."

"If it's not too much to ask, could you see to it that Snow gets out of the kingdom?"

The Huntsman raised his eyes back to hers, seeing the desperation in her eyes. "I don't like to tangle in the affairs of men, but I won't let a child be hurt."

"No!" Snow cried, sitting up straight again. "I told you I wouldn't leave you, and I meant it. I know what Father will do if he finds me, but that's nothing compared to what he'll do to you."

The Huntsman looked to Regina silently, waiting for her response. "Could I trouble you to purchase a few things for us, then?" Once he nodded his assent, she pulled a few gold coins from her pocket. "We'll need a horse," she continued, stroking Snow's back in anticipation of her frightened response. "And a spellbook."

"Why?" Snow asked frantically.

Regina turned to look at her, stilling the hand on her back. "Trust me."


	5. Magic Words

**Warning: There's a very brief and pretty mild flashback of Leopold physically abusing Regina. Skip the paragraph in italics if you don't want to read it.**

* * *

David sat down on the edge of the fountain in the town square, watching as Red stalked off towards a store to get them food. She didn't tell him where she was going, of course, but he kept looking until she disappeared into the shop.

She'd only spoken to him once since their fight the night before, since that unfortunate kiss, and that was to thrust the ring into his hands and tell him curtly that it would lead them to the Princess.

David ducked his head to study the ring, turning it between his fingers. The gem glowed faintly. He supposed it was magic, but he didn't know for sure. He'd tried to ask, but once she'd handed it over Red had turned away from him and attempted to sleep. From the constant movement he heard all night, he was sure she hadn't slept just as he hadn't.

It wasn't fair. He'd known Red since before he could remember, but she'd always been a sister to him. He cared about her more than anyone save his mother, loved her even, but it wasn't the love of epic poems. It was ordinary, everyday, and he believed with all his heart that there was something more waiting for him outside the confines of their small town.

"Excuse me."

David looked up to see a girl sitting beside him on the fountain, a book open in her lap.

"Is that what I think it is?" She leaned forward, blue eyes studying the ring. "Is it a True Love's Ring?"

"I know nothing about it." David held it out on his open palm so that she could see it better, and she dove back into her book, pulling up the relevant chapter.

"I think it is," she said reverently. "It's said that the ring glows brighter as you come nearer to your true love. It's incredibly rare." She glanced up, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I'm Belle."

"David. Do you want to see it closer?"

Belle grinned, and David dropped the ring into her hand. For a split second as it fell through the air, the gem went dark, but as soon as Belle caught it the glowing came back, almost blinding this time. She went red and forced it back into his grasp.

"So that means your true love is very near?" David asked. They both turned to look around the square, and Belle's heart sank as her eyes lighted on Gaston just outside the tavern. It couldn't be. There were a few other villagers nearby, but none of them were anyone remotely promising.

"I always thought I'd get out of here," she said glumly, turning back to David just in time to see Red appear by his side.

"Belle, this is Red," David said, not bothering to address his stony friend. "We're using the ring to search for the lost Princess."

Belle shut her book, nodding to the nearest flyer. She wanted to say how romantic that was, David searching for his true love, but when she looked up at his companion she could see the hurt in the girl's eyes. "That sounds like an incredible adventure," she said instead, smiling sweetly at Red. "The sort of thing I've always dreamed of."

"You should come with us," Red said almost instantly. "We could use some extra help." Red didn't know the girl, but the need for someone other than David to talk to was overwhelming. They needed a buffer between them if they weren't going to spend their days in silent anger.

Red and David didn't look at each other to confirm their agreement. "You should," David added. "I think your knowledge would come in handy."

Belle wanted nothing more, especially when she noticed Gaston striding towards them. "Belle," he boomed. "Should I be worried about your new friend?" He stared David down for a moment before turning to Red and grinning at her. "I quite approve of this one, though." He raked his eyes up and down her body.

Red grabbed Belle by the elbow and hauled her to her feet. "We were just leaving," she said harshly, seeing the discomfort on Belle's face. "Weren't we?"

Belle nodded vigorously. "Yes. Please."

David scrambled up as well, and the three headed back towards the forest with Gaston in close pursuit. "Where are we going, ladies?" he asked, slipping arms around both girls' shoulders.

Red spun around and pulled the dagger from her belt, holding it mere inches from Gaston's throat. "I am in no mood," she said sharply.

Gaston backed away, holding his hands up in the air. Belle smiled to herself and didn't look back.

* * *

Regina took a deep breath as she looked down at the spell book, hands trembling around the worn leather cover. The last time she'd held one was the day she told Rumplestiltskin that she was no longer interested in his tutelage. It was the day she'd given up hope of ever seeing Daniel again and resigned herself to the life that was expected of her.

She'd sworn that she'd never touch magic again. She'd used it in anger to banish her mother, and she felt far too much like Cora in that moment. Magic and unhappiness were a volatile mix, one that could too easily lead her into the dark that had consumed her mother.

She opened the book, turning each page slowly and carefully.

Anger and unhappiness still plagued her, but for the first time since Daniel's death there was something to fight for. She needed to protect her teenaged stepdaughter from destruction. She needed to defend her own life. And then there was the life within her, the child she had to save. She'd never seen herself as a mother, but her changing relationship with Snow was bringing out things she'd never known she had inside of her.

She paused when she reached a healing spell, reading every word on the page to make sure there were no hidden tricks. It was a simple spell, but it had been so long that she wasn't sure she could manage it.

She closed her eyes and took a few steadying breaths, fighting away the fear and doubt. She could do this. She _would_ do this. She refused to impede Snow's escape.

_Leopold's hands came toward her hard, and she put out her arms to keep her balance but faltered in her high-heeled shoes, one foot giving way beneath her weight. The pain shot up her leg and she cried out, reaching for the closest thing that could support her. Leopold. He dragged her to the bed and threw her down. "Make another sound and I'll give you a lot more things to cry about."_

The magic coiled heavily within her chest. She lifted the book to her lips as she'd seen her mother do so many times, and she blew.

Nothing.

She dropped the book to her lap and balled her hands into fists, trying not to lose her temper. After a moment of silent frustration, she unclenched her hands and tried again, this time pushing the anger and pain from her mind. She wasn't Cora. She had to do this differently. She had to try.

She thought about the girl, picturing Snow's worried expression when she'd regained consciousness the day before. She thought about the times Snow had refused to leave without her and the night they'd spent huddled together in the forest. Finally, she thought about the unborn baby she needed to keep from harm.

The feeling within her was warmer and lighter this time. She lifted the book again and exhaled softly, watching in wonder as the letters lifted off the page. They swirled through the air, and when they dissolved into nothingness she pointed and flexed her foot with no pain.

When she leaned down to feel with her fingers, she noticed that the bruises that had dotted her legs just moments before were gone.

She let out a cry of relief and slowly rose to her feet.


	6. Natural Order

**I finally plotted out the rest of the story, so hopefully it'll be a smooth ride from here. The action will be picking up really soon, I promise.**

**In the interest of not leading anyone on, you should all know that there is not going to be Rumbelle in this story. Writing straight couples isn't exactly my comfort zone, so I'm going to limit that to Snowing.**

* * *

Snow lowered the bow and looked back at the Huntsman. "I can't do this."

He came towards her again, lifting the bow into position and crooking her elbow just so. "It's the order of things," he said simply. "We all need to survive. Just don't take more than you have to."

Snow swallowed thickly, focusing on the target. She did need to know how to survive. How to feed herself and Regina, how to defend them from danger.

She let go, watching as the arrow hummed through the air and sank into the target. It quivered not quite in the center but close enough for the Huntsman to clap a hand on her shoulder. It was all the praise she got from him, but it was enough.

He pointed into the brush, and Snow watched as a rabbit tentatively made its way into the clearing. She shook her head vigorously. She couldn't kill something so innocent and sweet. But the Huntsman held out another arrow for her and she readied herself, reminding herself again that there was no choice. Any life she took was for the benefit of her unborn sister if nothing else.

This time, she closed her eyes as soon as the arrow left her bow.

When she finally let herself look, the Huntsman was crouching down beside the felled animal, and she reluctantly made her way to his side. Tears spilled from her eyes as she watched the rabbit's stomach rise and fall with one final breath. "Thank you," she whispered, "for the sacrifice you have made so that we may live."

The Huntsman picked up the animal and rose to his feet, holding out a hand to help Snow up. They walked in relative silence back towards the cave, but as they neared he stopped abruptly and turned to her. "You're stronger than you know, Snow White."

* * *

"Do you really believe that?" Red had been studying the title of Belle's book as they walked side by side. David strode ahead, the ring on his smallest finger, testing different directions and carving out their path.

Belle looked at Red quizzically.

"True love," she clarified, gesturing towards the book.

Belle frowned, thinking. She had, she always had, but her experience with the ring just that morning was making her question the idea. She'd read plenty of stories where the roguish young man won over the lady who had hated him from the start, but she and Gaston were nothing like that. He wasn't a mere annoyance, not when she'd known him since childhood and he had never once shown the ability to change. "As a concept," she finally answered, "yes. But I don't know if I believe I will find it myself."

Red nodded, directing her gaze back towards David. "I always thought David was mine," she said softly, needing someone to confide in. "But he believes he's destined for the Princess. It's ridiculous."

Belle said nothing, tightening her grip on the book. So Red didn't know the nature of the ring she'd given to David.

"I had imagined a whole life for myself, for us, and now it's slipping away from me."

"The life I imagined was like this," Belle replied. "Adventure. Love would be nice, certainly, but I could never be happy staying in one place, being someone's wife. I'd be glad to be in your position rather than having the same boys I've known my whole life constantly vying for my hand."

Red fell silent. She'd always dreamed of an opportunity like this herself, a chance to leave her small town and see the world. But in her dreams, her true love was always with her. "I want it all," she said softly, more to herself than to Belle.

Belle smiled at her. "That would be ideal." She waited to see if Red had anything more to say on the topic, but when the girl was quiet Belle changed the subject. "David said that you gave him that ring. Might I ask where you got it?"

"A man appeared in the woods last night," Red explained. "He told me it would lead us to the Princess, and gave it to me in exchange for us turning the Queen over to him instead of the authorities." She left out the other part, which she felt a vague guilt about. Even so, she was planning to go through with it, but there was no reason to share that particular secret.

Belle watched David hold the ring aloft to see the steadily brightening glow. So this man Red had encountered had a rare and powerful ring in his possession, and somehow knew where exactly it would lead David. "How odd. What was his name?"

Red searched for it, taking a moment to piece the strange syllables together. "Rumplestiltskin."

* * *

Snow ran forward, delighted, as she saw Regina step out of the cave with no hint of a limp. "Are you well again?" She threw her arms around her stepmother, and Regina put a hand lightly on her back.

It was still strange, getting used to feeling affection for the girl, and this was the first time they'd been so close without immediate danger to drive them together. Regina slowly brought her other arm around the girl as well, fully allowing the embrace.

"All healed," Regina replied, drawing back to see the Huntsman with a bow and quiver on his back and a rabbit in one hand.

Snow glanced over her shoulder at him. "I killed a rabbit," she said, her tone conveying her conflict between pride and sorrow.

"You must be a natural." Regina let go, stepping back so she could meet Snow's eyes. "We leave at sundown, Snow."

* * *

They made camp at sundown, Belle going off in search of fresh water while David collected firewood and Red got out the food she'd bought that morning. David and Red stood silently as David started the fire. He finally made his way around it to Red's side and took her hand.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, surprised when Red looked him in the eye. "I never meant to hurt you."

Red smiled sadly and withdrew her hand. "I'm sorry, too."


	7. Such Heavy Things

Snow stood in front of the horse the Huntsman had procured for them, waiting while her stepmother packed the saddlebags with fruits, vegetables, and what remained of the deer and the rabbit they'd been living on for the past few days. The Princess didn't look towards either of her human companions, instead staring nervously at the animal.

"Thank you for everything," Regina said to the Huntsman, and Snow finally turned to face them and echo Regina's sentiments. The Huntsman disappeared into the forest unceremoniously, and the Queen turned her attention to Snow.

"You know how horses frighten me," Snow said in almost a whisper.

Regina stepped forward and stroked the animal's neck lovingly. "We've both faced many things that frighten us," she said, offering her stepdaughter a smile and a hand.

Snow reluctantly stepped forward, letting Regina help her mount. She held tight to the saddle, the distance between her and the ground forcing her to raise her head and look off into the darkening forest. "What if I fall?"

Regina pulled herself up in front of Snow easily, placing a reassuring hand on her stepdaughter's leg. "_Why_ are you afraid, Snow?"

Snow let go of the saddle cautiously and wrapped her arms around Regina's middle. "You know why. The runaway horse when I was a child. The day you saved me."

"I didn't let you fall then," Regina said, spurring the horse to begin moving slowly. Snow stiffened behind her. "What makes you think I'll let you fall now?"

When Regina glanced back over her shoulder, she saw the slightest hint of a grin on Snow's lips. "Thank you," the girl said almost too softly to hear.

Regina covered one of the hands at her stomach with her own. "Hold on." She leaned forward into the animal and Snow grabbed on tighter as the horse sped up.

* * *

Red sat by the faint glow of the fire, unable to sleep. The night before, the deal she'd made allowed her to drift off happily, but something about having not only David but Belle sleeping nearby was unsettling. There was a witness now, someone who could throw an unexpected twist in her plans.

Someone who, she couldn't help thinking, David could turn to instead of Red when the Princess broke his heart.

Still, Red didn't regret inviting the girl along. Belle's presence was comfortable, as if she'd been there all along. Red trusted her for reasons she couldn't articulate, and even though she'd told Belle almost every secret she had during their walk today—not just about her feelings for David, but her wolf as well—she didn't feel exposed.

Red twisted around to look at Belle who was lying close, sleeping with a faint smile on her lips. The book she'd been carrying was between them, and Red picked it up, hoping maybe it would lull her to sleep if nothing else. She opened the book across her lap and began the section she opened to in the flickering firelight.

_The bond between a True Love pair is perhaps the hardest aspect of the phenomenon to deal with scientifically. Couples often take a while to manifest this connection, although in some cases an early attraction or an implicit sense of trust may occur._

_One universal truth about True Love is that the pair is drawn together as if a pair of magnets. Even if there are initial clashes between the Lovers, they display a tendency to find each other. The pair cannot be permanently separated. Despite great distances, marriages to others, and a host of other complications, all of the couples studied have returned to each other eventually. The bond can only be severed by the death of one of the two._

Red could feel her energy waning as she gave up on the heavy text. She flipped forward lazily to a dog-eared page, suddenly bolting back awake as she looked at the diagram Belle had bookmarked.

It was, without a doubt, the ring Rumplestiltskin had given her the day before, the ring that was leading them to the Princess. As she scanned through the text, queasiness rose in her. The ring was leading David towards true love.

And, if this book was to be believed, true love was impossible to cure. No matter what Rumplestiltskin did to separate David and his love, they would find their way back to each other. Red would never be enough to keep them apart.

She closed the book, tears rising in her eyes as she looked over at David. His hand with the ring was stretched out in front of him, glowing deliberately but not enough to give Red hope that maybe she could be his destiny.

Rumplestiltskin had lied to her. He couldn't possibly do what he promised. Red held the book towards the fire until it caught flame and then dropped it in, curling up on her side in an attempt to sleep.

As the night darkened and Red finally fell into a fitful sleep, the gem on David's ring began to grow steadily brighter.

* * *

As the first strains of dawn began to appear, Regina stopped the horse and slid off. She reached up to help Snow down, keeping her hands on the girl's waist after her feet hit the ground. "I'm so proud of you," she said before letting go.

They tied up the horse, ate, and settled down to sleep as the morning grew brighter. They stretched out on the ground beside each other, and Snow rolled to face the Queen after a moment.

"What are you going to name her?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Regina stayed flat on her back but turned her head in Snow's direction. "I don't know. Names are such heavy things." She folded her hands over her stomach. "From the moment I was born all my mother could think about was my being Queen. I was never anything more than that to her."

Snow nodded, the smile with which she'd asked the original question fading. "I'll never be my name again," she said, and Regina saw her eyes shimmering with tears. "I'm supposed to be pure."

Regina immediately moved closer, putting an arm around her stepdaughter. "You _are_ pure. You're pure of heart."

"But I'm—" Snow started, tears beginning to run loose.

"What your father did to you was unforgivable," Regina interrupted, "but it's about him, not you. You have done nothing wrong, Snow."

Snow buried her face in Regina's shoulder. "But I'll never be the same again."

"No, you won't," Regina agreed. "You're stronger and braver now than you've ever been."

The Queen fell silent, gently stroking her stepdaughter's back as the girl sobbed. After half an hour of crying, Snow finally went quiet. Regina closed her eyes, assuming the Princess had fallen asleep and trying to do the same.

"If I had a daughter," Snow said suddenly, still very much awake, "I'd name her Emma."

"That's pretty." Exhausted from doing magic the day before and riding all night, drained by Snow's sadness, Regina could feel herself slipping away. "You'll have to help me find something for mine."

* * *

Rumplestiltskin stood over his map of the forest, moving a marker to the new position of the royal fugitives. It was ever so close to the marker he'd set the night before, and he let out a gleeful laugh as he looked at his handiwork.

"Not much longer, dearest Regina."


	8. Awakening

**A/N: I don't entirely love how this chapter turned out, since having so many characters together makes it hard to make point of view anything near consistent. But I hope you'll enjoy it!**

* * *

"She is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen," David whispered reverently, tucking the too-bright ring into his pocket. He couldn't believe that this moment was finally here, that the two women from the posters were fast asleep on the forest floor just feet away from him. He spared no attention for the Queen, however. There was nothing that mattered to him but Snow White.

Belle placed a reassuring hand on Red's arm, offering her a smile. Red gave the slightest smile in return before tugging David back towards them. "I have a plan," she whispered. "Since Belle is unarmed, we'll give her the task of getting the Princess back to last night's camp and waiting with her there until we all reconvene."

David didn't appear to be listening, but his eyes snapped up to meet Red's suddenly. "No. I must be the one to rescue the Princess. I must be her savior."

Red rolled her eyes but knew there was no use arguing the point. Any wasted words could wake the sleeping women and ruin everything. "Fine. David will take the Princess away. I will take his sword and hold off the Queen, and Belle will take my dagger and provide backup as needed."

"I won't seem much of a knight if I'm unarmed," David protested, and Red glared at him.

"We only have two blades. We can't spare one to help you woo your Princess." Red grabbed for his sword and pulled it from its sheath before the shepherd could react. She then reached down for her dagger and offered it to the other girl. "Just stick to the plan, David. Don't do anything stupid."

When David didn't complain further, Red took the lead and crept out into the clearing, standing beside the prone body of the Queen. She held her blade just inches from the woman's throat, then nodded for the others to follow. Belle positioned herself between the two royals, dagger at the ready.

David dropped down onto his knees beside Snow White, gazing on her with a tenderness that made Red tighten her grip on the sword. "Hurry," she hissed, expecting him to scoop up her sleeping form and take her away, but he only leaned closer to the Princess.

"Awake, my love," he whispered, bringing his lips softly to hers.

"David!" Red scolded a little too loudly, but it was too late. Snow woke immediately at the feel of the unexpected kiss and screamed to find a strange man crouched over her. The Princess lashed out with her fists, managing to fight the surprised David off of her.

Red had no time to enjoy the moment as Regina's eyes snapped open at the sound of screaming. "Snow!" the Queen cried, instinctively moving towards her stepdaughter but stopping short when she felt the cool metal blade against her neck. She looked up at Red and Belle, shock and fear filling her eyes. "What is this?"

Red hauled the Queen to her feet, keeping the sword at her throat and clutching her arm tightly. David had managed to get his arms around the hysterical Princess, holding her in place even as she struggled to get free.

Regina, unlike Snow, didn't fight. She ignored the weapons pointed at her, instead turning desperate eyes to Red and then Belle. "Please, let her go. Don't hurt her."

"We're rescuing her," David yelled in response. "Saving her from _you_."

"No!" Snow tore at his arms, trying to get him to loosen his hold. "You don't understand."

David just held on tighter, heartbreak all over his features as the girl he believed to be his true love fought so hard to get away from him. Belle saw his resolve weakening and went to his side, offering the Princess a kind smile. "You're safe now. It's all right." She met David's eyes. "Let's get her out of here."

Regina watched as they took Snow away, going pale when she saw Belle's dagger flash in a beam of sunlight. "No," she whispered, tears rising in her eyes. "Kill me if you must, but don't touch her."

Red hardly even listened to the Queen. She was too irritated by David's display, by the fact that he'd gone against her wishes and ruined her plan. Now the Princess was frightened instead of willing, and now Red had no one to help her with the Queen. "Rumplestiltskin," she called.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked desperately at the familiar name. "What have you done?"

"She's only made a bargain, dearie." The man Red had encountered a few nights before strolled into sight. "One that's landed me a prize I've been wanting for years." He stepped closer, stroking dirty fingers down the side of Regina's face, and the Queen flinched.

Red took a step back and pulled Regina with her, bringing the blade even closer to her skin. "You made a deal you can't fulfill," she said, glaring at Rumplestiltskin. "David can't be mine, because you can't end True Love. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just slit the Queen's throat."

"I'll give you three," he replied, unable to hold back a giggle as he watched Regina swallow hard against the blade. "One, you don't have it in you. Two, you don't want to know the things I do to those who break deals with me. Three," he cocked his head in the direction David, Belle, and Snow had gone, "I did indeed keep my half. The very fact that the little Princess didn't want him right away broke your shepherd's heart. I never said I could keep them apart forever."

Red considered for a moment, trying to recall the exact words he'd said when they last met. She lowered the sword and thrust the Queen towards him.

Regina stumbled forward, looking wildly back at the girl who'd been holding her captive. "Why have you done this?" she asked miserably.

"Now, Regina, don't forget your manners." Rumplestiltskin closed a hand over her wrist. "She's saving you from certain execution. You really should be thanking her."

Before Regina could speak another word, make one last plea for Red and her friends to take care of Snow, she and Rumplestiltskin vanished in a cloud of smoke.


	9. The Captives

**A/N: I'm glad so many enjoyed the last chapter! This story has a lot more to come, so you're going to have to wait for the solutions. Hang in there! Now that the plot is picking up, I'm writing a lot faster, so hopefully I won't torment you too much.**

**This is a short chapter, but I promise more soon!**

* * *

The Princess had finally quieted, worn out from fighting back. She sat on a fallen log, hands bound in her lap, and snuck glances at the girl sitting next to her.

"I'm sorry," Belle said. "We didn't mean to frighten you."

"If your intentions are good, why are you holding me here?" Snow asked. The young man who'd woken her and dragged her away from Regina was pacing back and forth in front of them, and he stopped when he heard the Princess speak.

"Untie her," David ordered, but Belle didn't move.

"Are you forgetting that she got hold of the dagger and nearly stabbed you?" Belle shook her head.

"Please," Snow whispered. "I won't hurt anyone. I just want to get back to my stepmother."

David let out a frustrated sigh. "She kidnapped you, Princess. We're only trying to help you."

"She did no such thing," Snow replied, defiance flashing again in her tired eyes. "She's the only person who has _ever_ helped me."

Belle held up a hand to silence David before he could speak. "Don't argue with her. She's confused."

"No, I'm not."

"Sometimes victims of kidnapping begin to identify with their kidnappers," Belle explained, recalling a book she'd read on the subject. "She believes what she's saying."

"Because it's true," Snow shot back.

David crouched down in front of the Princess, offering her a pitiful smile. "Everything's going to be all right, my love."

Fear rose again in Snow's expression, her voice wavering as she thought back to the unwelcome contact they'd shared earlier. "Please don't touch me."

Belle was about to urge David to leave them. Snow was calmer without him near, and they were never going to win the girl's trust if she stayed tense. As she looked from the Princess to the shepherd, however, she saw a flash of crimson between the trees as Red approached.

Snow saw her, too, and she rose immediately to her feet, nearly knocking David over. "You haven't hurt her, have you? Is Regina all right?"

"She's fine, Princess," Red told her, even though she wasn't entirely sure that was true given the look on the Queen's face as she was taken away. "She's being kept safe from the King's men."

Snow allowed herself to smile. "Thank you for helping her." The knowledge that Regina was alive and free was all that she cared about. As much as the Princess wanted her near now, wanted things to return to the way they'd been, there was a hope that Regina would return for her. She only had to wait.

David didn't look up as Red returned, instead continuing to watch Snow. There was a light in her eyes that he'd never had a chance to see before, and it wasn't for him. Red was the one with the good news and the sword, Snow's savior, and he was reviled. He got to his feet, stalking away angrily.

"David?" Red made to follow him. This was all her fault, her selfish deal costing him the Princess, if only temporarily. When he turned and she saw his pained expression, she wished more than anything that she could undo it.

She could pick up the pieces just as Rumplestiltskin had promised, she could win his love for a short time, but she realized with a pang that she didn't want that. She wanted to see him smile again as he had when he beheld the Princess for the first time.

"You were right, Red," David said bitterly. "True love isn't real. It's just some kind of sick joke." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the brightly glowing ring, throwing it to the ground. As soon as it left his grasp, the light went out.

Belle moved towards the rare object. Whether or not it was accurate, whether or not it was going to condemn her to the fate she least wanted, it was worth too much to be lost in the woods.

Red bent down herself, still thinking of the heavy price of the ring. It cost David his happiness, and she couldn't imagine what it might cost the Queen. It was certainly not to be taken lightly.

Red reached it slightly before Belle, not paying attention to the way it lit up just as brightly as it had in David's hand a moment ago. Mere seconds later, Belle's fingers brushed against Red's as she, too, reached for the ring.

All four turned their heads or covered their eyes at the sudden blinding light.

* * *

Regina found herself alone in a cell, standing in a patch of barred sunlight that came through the window. "Snow?" she called tentatively, even though she knew her stepdaughter had been taken away long before she'd been transported here.

She sank down onto the simple cot, nausea rising in her. Those fools, no more than children, had Snow, and doubtlessly wanted the reward. The thought of Leopold getting the Princess back into his clutches was horrifying, especially if Regina wasn't there to intervene.

She'd promised to protect Snow, and she'd failed. She'd slept beside the girl instead of keeping watch, and now Snow was returning to the very things she'd been crying about before Regina closed her eyes.

She didn't spare a thought for herself, for whatever Rumplestiltskin had in store for her. "Snow," she said, in a whisper this time, and she let the tears come.


	10. All Things Change

**A/N: You all keep asking for more as if that's going to make things any better. *Evil Queen laugh* Just you wait.**

**Just a reminder - Snow is 16 in this story, and the rest of her peer group (David, Red, Belle) is around the same age. Some of them have made and will continue to make absolutely terrible decisions. I know I'm totally setting them up to be hated and I hate them a little myself sometimes, but keep their ages in mind. David and Red have grown up in a really small farming town and are both very naive. Their intentions are selfish and impulsive but not necessarily bad. David is driven by his idealism and Red by her jealousy, but they'll learn.**

**But you are 100% welcome to continue telling me just how much you hate them. Which I'm sure you will by the end of this chapter.**

* * *

David led the way, Snow willingly following now that she knew Regina was safe. Red and Belle walked a short distance behind, keeping an eye on the Princess but more concerned with the bright glow of the ring in Belle's hand.

"I wish I knew for sure what happened," Belle was saying softly. "I seem to have misplaced my book."

Red smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

Belle reached for the other girl's hand after tucking the ring into a pocket. "I can only assume what it might mean."

"That we're…"

"Yes." Belle kept her relief to herself. She'd only known this girl for a day, but she already cared for her more than any of the other people who had been in the square when the ring had first glowed for her. "This doesn't have to change anything," she said after a pause, watching the conflict of emotions in Red's expression.

Red didn't say what she wanted, that this changed everything in ways she couldn't even begin to articulate. Just knowing that there was a chance that true love _did_ exist, and that she had one, lessened the jealousy she felt every time David glanced over his shoulder to make sure the Princess was still there.

"I won't try to kiss you awake tomorrow or anything," Belle added, laughing, and Red joined her.

"Not tomorrow," she replied. "But maybe someday."

* * *

"So nice to have you back again, dearie."

Regina stiffened at the voice behind her, not turning to look at Rumplestiltskin yet. She was thinking of the last time she'd been in this room full of potions and spun strands of gold. It was when she'd told him that she was done with magic and done with him.

"It seems you broke your vow," he said, and Regina finally turned around. "The last time you were here, you told me all about how you would never touch magic as long as you lived, yet you used a spell just the other day, didn't you?"

Regina glared at him. "It was light magic, and only for healing."

"That's how it always starts," he replied gleefully. "Although I must advise you to keep away from light magic, Regina. Darkness is in your blood. Trying to fight your nature can be so very exhausting."

"You know nothing of my nature."

Rumplestiltskin regarded her for a moment, eyes raking up and down. "No, I suppose I don't. I once saw you becoming the most powerful sorceress this realm has ever seen, but you're weak. Your devotion to the very girl who gave you the life you despise will be your downfall."

Regina closed her eyes at the mention of Snow and the memory of all the hate she'd harbored for so many years. "Things have changed," she said through gritted teeth, finally looking at him again. "I have changed."

He curled a hand slowly over her shoulder, and she forced herself to meet his empty eyes defiantly. "And yet, things stay the same. Why, just now Snow White is on her way back to your husband. Her life will be just the as it was." He grinned wickedly at her. "Or perhaps worse than it was, now that Leopold can't take his frustrations out on you."

Regina pulled away from him violently. "Let me go to her."

"You're not going anywhere, dearie." Rumplestiltskin picked up a quill from the table and flourished it in her direction. "But I will see to it that she's protected if you'll just sign this little contract." A scroll of paper appeared in his free hand.

Regina shuddered at the sight, knowing all too well the trouble the Dark One's deals could bring. Still, she could think of very little that she'd refuse to give for her stepdaughter's safety. "What's your price?" she asked, the false confidence in her voice wavering.

He pointed the quill towards Regina's abdomen and spoke the words she'd been dreading. "Your daughter."

* * *

As soon as Snow realized that she and her captors were nearing a town, she stopped short and refused to move farther. "Please," she said, directing her pleas to the girls behind her. Belle had been kind even when detaining her, and while she knew nothing of Red, she was responsible for Regina's safety. "I know that my father is offering a lot of money, but we ran away for a reason. Don't send me back there."

David had turned back as soon as he realized that the rest of the group had stopped. Belle reached out to touch the Princess, smiling sweetly at her. "What is your reason?"

"No," Snow replied, the shame rising in her again. If word got out about the things her father had done to her, she'd be ruined. "I won't tell you."

David frowned as he studied her. If only she hadn't reacted so badly to him from the start, he might suggest that they stay on the run. She could come to love him in her gratitude. But she could also run away from him and be lost forever. If he returned her to the King, if he got into her father's good graces, marriage was almost certain, and maybe love would follow.

Without a moment's further hesitation, he turned and headed into the town.

Snow stopped bothering to beg her captors, dropping her gaze to the ground. "You don't understand," she said softly.

Red and Belle watched as tears began to slip from the Princess's eyes, sharing a look between them. "Are you in danger?" Red asked softly. Snow nodded, and Red pulled out her dagger. David would never forgive her for this, but she cut the rope binding the Princess's wrists.

At the sound of nearby hooves, Belle looked up to see a few riders in the royal livery with David running among them. She gave Snow a gentle push, just enough to start the Princess running, but it was too late. One of the riders cut in front of her and prevented her escape.

Snow froze at the proximity of the horse, too frightened to fight as she was pulled up into the saddle. There was no Regina here to save her this time. The horse took off down the road towards the castle and Snow closed her eyes, terrified.

"Come," one of the other men said to Red, Belle, and David. "The King will reward you richly."

"We've made a terrible mistake," Red whispered as they followed the horses on foot. "She's afraid of something, David."

David just clapped a hand over the hilt of his sword. "Then we'll rescue her again," he said, smiling at the idea of a second chance.


	11. Cat and Mouse

**A/N: Leopold gets a little squicky in this chapter, just a warning. Nothing violent, sexual, or explicit, just don't want to take anyone by surprise.**

* * *

"My darling girl." Leopold ran across the room to meet Snow, embracing her tightly. "I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that you're safe."

He shot a look over his daughter at the guards who had brought her to him and they exited the room swiftly, leaving only the King and a Princess who was pulling herself free from his grasp.

Leopold didn't seem to mind, bringing his hands up to cup Snow's face. "I was so afraid I'd lost you."

"I ran from you," Snow said coldly. "You lost me months ago when you…" She stopped, emotion breaking through her voice despite her efforts to stay strong.

Leopold shook his head, reeling her in again and pressing his lips to her forehead. "Everything I've ever done has been because I love you, Snow." He tilted her face up to his, and Snow swallowed hard as he kissed her tightly closed lips.

"It's wrong," she whispered, turning her head to keep her mouth from him.

The King persisted, kissing what he could still access: her cheek, her ear, her neck. "Did your stepmother tell you that?" he asked. "She doesn't understand, Snow. She's only jealous of the bond we share."

At the mention of Regina, Snow whipped her head back toward her father. "You can't kill her, Father."

"She took you from me, Snow. She must be punished."

Snow finally worked up the strength to shove him away from her, taking a few steps back and fixing him with a glare. "You must stop looking for her. Just let her go."

Leopold pursed his lips, shocked by the outburst from his always docile daughter. "I'm King here, Snow White, and I'll do what I please," he said firmly.

Regina had told Snow that the King could never know about the child, and the Princess knew she was right. But what good could the secret do Regina or her baby if Leopold's men killed her in their efforts to bring her home? Snow had given away one of Regina's secrets years ago, and she still felt constant guilt for that, but this time lives were at stake. "She's with child," she blurted out before she could debate more.

Leopold stared at Snow for a silent moment. "What?"

"Regina. She's carrying your child. You can't let harm come to her."

The King paced towards her, and Snow backed away. "Where is she hiding?"

"I don't know," Snow said softly and truthfully as her father backed her into the wall. "You must leave her be."

Leopold sneered at the idea. "Do you have any idea what this child means, Snow? What will happen if I leave it be?" He watched his daughter tremble silently before him and reached out what he meant to be a reassuring hand to stroke the side of her face. "You are everything to me, Snow, and one day you will be Queen. But if Regina bears me a son, by our laws he will take your throne from under you. I cannot allow that to happen."

Snow pushed hard at his shoulders, forcing her way past him towards the door. "Being Queen means nothing," she spat back at him.

* * *

Regina stared helplessly at the enchanted surface of the mirror. She couldn't hear a sound, but she could see the fear in Snow's eyes and the predatory gleam in Leopold's. When her husband backed the girl into a wall and caressed her face, Regina finally turned away, hugging her arms around herself.

"Any chance you've changed your mind?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

Regina didn't respond, just walking to the table where the long contract was unfurled and reading it with bleary eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of Snow continuing to suffer, alone and unprotected, but she also knew that the Dark One was capable of things she couldn't even dream of. There was no telling which was the worse fate, and Regina ached at the thought of sacrificing one of her daughters while she remained untouched. "What do you want my child for?" she asked once she reached the bottom of the page, looking up at Rumplestiltskin.

"Child procurement is just one of my many trades," he replied with a grin. "But I do have a special purpose for yours." He walked over to one of the many cabinets in the room and unlocked it, pulling out the sort of small scroll that Regina had often seen in Cora's possession. "I need a little assistance casting this curse. Your mother refused, and you gave up on magic before I could even ask you. What is it they say? Third time's the charm?"

"I'll do it," Regina said immediately. "If you'll rescue Snow I'll let you teach me again, and I'll cast your curse."

Rumplestiltskin put the scroll back with a shake of his head. "It's a little late for that, dearie. When you were angry and had no love in your heart, you might have risked it all, but not now. Not with your little family to protect."

Regina had never heard "family" spoken as if it were a dirty word before. She let her eyes fall back to the contract. "I need to make an amendment."

"Oh?" Rumplestiltskin crossed to her side of the table and held out the quill, and Regina added a few lines of script to the bottom.

"Leopold will never harm Snow again, and he will never lay a hand on my child. You will keep them safe at all costs."

"That's fair." The Dark One tapped a pointed fingernail against the signature line, and Regina brought quill to paper once again.

* * *

Snow barricaded herself in her room before running to open her window. There was no way down, she knew that. It was too far to fall, and the smooth castle walls offered little in the way of footholds. Still, she looked down desperately as if something might have changed in the short time she'd been away.

The only change was a little nest tucked into the eave above the window, and as there was no way out she paused to look up at it and smile. A bluebird poked its head out and warbled, and sudden realization dawned on the Princess.

"Can you help me?" she asked, and the bird flitted from the nest and landed on the girl's outstretched hand. "I'll watch over your nest if you'll deliver a message for me."

The bird trilled cheerfully, and Snow left it on the windowsill and ran across the room for paper. She composed a short note and rolled it up, tying it to the bird's leg with a hair ribbon.


	12. The Champions

They'd received their gold, split into three purses, and three of the King's best horses waited outside to carry them to town so they could be fitted for proper wardrobes before the banquet that night. All that was left was an audience with the King himself.

They waited uncomfortably in the throne room, all three plagued by the knowledge that they'd inadvertently sent the Princess back to something she feared. But there was no danger to be found, only the lavish halls of a palace. Red and David were stunned by the surroundings, and while Belle's noble family had been to many of the finest estates and smaller castles in the land, nothing compared to this.

"So these are my champions." The King's voice echoed through the room as he entered, and all three bowed. Rather than continuing to the throne, he paused before them. "You have no reason to bow to me, not after such heroics." He took one of Red's hands and one of Belle's, guiding them to stand straight again and placing a lingering kiss on each hand. "There is no reward I will not give you, no honor I will not bestow upon you for bringing my Snow safely home."

"Actually…" David began, but Belle cut him off.

"Is the Princess all right, Your Highness?" she asked.

Leopold nodded, smiling at Belle. "She's weary, but that's to be expected. Nothing that sleeping in her own bed won't fix." He looked at all three of them slowly. "Before we celebrate, there's the unfortunate matter of my wife, the Queen. Do you know where I might find her?"

Both David and Belle looked towards Red, and the King noticed and did so as well. Red dropped her gaze, the question running madly through her head. "I'm afraid she escaped us," she lied after a pause. "She ran, and we thought it more important to protect the Princess than to pursue her. My apologies, Your Highness."

She raised her eyes to meet the King's, and he smiled benevolently at her. "You did the right thing. No need to apologize." He finally let go of the girls, clapping his hands together. "Now, we all have much to do. I'll see you tonight at the banquet."

"Your Highness," David said boldly, stepping forward before Leopold could turn to leave. "There is an honor you could bestow upon me, the greatest honor I could ever hope for." Red and Belle exchanged a nervous look, but the shepherd pressed on, dipping into another low bow. "I wish to ask your daughter's hand in marriage."

The King's kind face suddenly went hard. "You will do no such thing," he said curtly.

Before David could respond, the sounds of a commotion in the hallway had the guards in the room running towards the door.

* * *

Snow leaned on the windowsill, watching desperately for any sign of the bluebird. She couldn't help worrying that it had gotten intercepted in some way, that no help was coming. She glanced up at the nest in the eaves, and as her gaze shifted she caught the motion of the bird hurrying back towards her.

"You've done it?" Snow asked as the bluebird landed on the edge of its nest.

The bird sang a few notes and turned its head towards the forest. Snow followed its gaze, looking for any sort of movement in the nearby tree line. There was a shifting in the bushes, and the Princess gasped as a wolf made its way into the open, then another. A whole pack spilled out of the forest, the Huntsman in its midst.

Snow cried out in joy. "I can never thank you enough," she told the bird before hurrying to move the furniture that was barricading her door. She opened it just enough that she'd be able to hear what happened, and then she ran back to the window to watch the pack stream into the castle gates.

There was a long silence, and Snow clasped her hands together as she waited by her door, afraid that something had stopped their progress. And then she heard it, a gradually nearing howl. There were shouts from guards and the clanking of armor mingled with the barks and yelps of the wolves. The door suddenly flew open to reveal the Huntsman with his knife drawn, his concerned expression softening when he saw the Princess.

"Snow," he said with a smile. Before she could react he was removing his bow and quiver and putting them on the girl. "We'll hold them off. Run."

"Thank you for all you've done." Snow's smile was wavering and apologetic. She felt guilty for dragging this man into the messes of others, but he shook his head slightly to indicate that she shouldn't worry.

* * *

The King and his honored guests had found their way into the entrance hall, where they watched in astonishment as wolves made swift work of the palace's finest guards. They almost didn't notice when the Princess tore through the middle of the fight, but Leopold couldn't miss the familiar form as it ran by him. "Snow!" he called, stepping forward to halt her progress.

She paused, looking over her shoulder with fear in her eyes. Before Leopold could move closer, David drew his sword and pointed it at the King. "Let her go," he insisted, finally moved to action by Snow's expression.

Red had her dagger out in a second, brandishing it at a guard who stepped in to stop David. Belle ran for the Princess who seemed to have frozen in place, grabbing her arm and tugging her along towards the castle gates.

"I'm sorry," Belle said breathlessly as they ran. "We'll help you now." When they reached the horses the King had prepared for the heroes, Belle mounted the nearest one and motioned for Snow to do the same.

Snow didn't move. These steeds had been chosen for being big and imposing, and the Princess couldn't help recalling that the last time she'd attempted to ride solo she'd nearly fallen to her death. She looked from one untaken horse to the other before taking off into a run, ignoring Belle's cries after her.

She bolted into the stables, not stopping until she reached the stall she wanted. The horse was small and calm, warmth in its brown eyes. "You're the only one I've trusted," she said. "Can I trust you again, Rocinante?"

Regina's horse, the one who had helped her rescue Snow all those years before, lowered his head and nudged Snow's shoulder affectionately. It was the first time a horse had ever responded to her speech. She hurried into the stall, wishing desperately that she'd kept up her riding lessons when she saw Regina's saddle and bridle hanging there and had no idea how to put them on. There was no time for fumbling, so she stepped up on a stool and threw a leg over Rocinante and took her chances. She wound her fingers desperately in his mane and bent towards his ear to tell him where to go.

The horse carried her rather easily back to the gates, learning quickly to ignore the tight grip of the rider's hands and legs and simply follow her verbal instructions. They arrived in time to see Red running from the palace and swinging herself into the saddle. "David fell behind," she said miserably, giving Belle a desperate look.

"He'll catch up, but it won't do him any good if we get caught." Belle spurred her horse into motion and Rocinante followed suit. Red still lingered, but the moment she saw David emerging she raced after them, trusting that he'd do the same.


	13. Follow Through

**A/N: Thanks for all the continuing reviews, favorites, and follows! I really love hearing what you guys have to say about this story.**

**Last chapter before the story jumps ahead in time. **

* * *

"Now," Maleficent said, holding out a glass of wine to her visitor. "What do you want?"

Rumplestiltskin took the offered glass and sat down, grinning at the blonde sorceress across from him. "I can't just drop in and visit an old friend?" he asked.

Maleficent arched an eyebrow. "Don't waste my time, Rumple."

"You always see right through me," he replied melodramatically, pulling a small scroll from his pocket with a flourish. "I'm here on business. I seem to recall you asking for a sleeping curse."

Her eyes gleamed, zeroing in on the scroll. "Finally. Your price?"

"I need you to protect something for me." He grinned. "Or some_one_, rather."

"I'm not much of a babysitter."

"It seems to me," Rumplestiltskin replied, waggling the curse back and forth, "that a certain princess's sixteenth birthday is only a few months away. It wouldn't look good if you didn't follow through on your threat, Maleficent."

The blonde rolled her eyes, but couldn't quite argue. "Fine. Who is it and how long is it going to take?"

He snapped his fingers and Regina appeared beside him, looking around herself in bewilderment. "This is King Leopold's Queen, Regina," he said, tossing the curse to Maleficent before standing up and placing a possessive hand over Regina's stomach. "And you'll keep her until she pops. How far along are you, dearie?"

Regina pulled his hand away from her, glaring at him. "She might belong to you, but I don't. Keep your hands off me."

Maleficent grinned wickedly. "I like her already."

* * *

Snow stood apart, watching carefully as her captors-turned-rescuers set up camp for the night. Despite their help, she couldn't trust them after they'd ignored her fears and sent her home. She would stay among them only to find out where Regina was, and then she'd go the rest of the way alone.

Red suddenly stopped and dropped her armful of firewood when she passed David on his left side. "You're hurt!" She leaned in to inspect his bloodied sleeve and the ugly gash beneath it. "David, you're bleeding. Why didn't you tell me?"

"There were more important things to attend to," he said in a low voice, glancing towards the Princess. The last thing he wanted was for her to think him weak, but it was growing harder and harder to ignore the searing pain.

Belle took over building the fire as Red forced David to sit down and peeled off his shirt. The wound was deep, and she stared at it in horror, not sure what she could possibly do. She looked desperately over her shoulder at Belle, who shrugged in response, knowing even less about healing than Red did.

Snow felt little sympathy for the young man who had taken her from Regina and returned her to her father, but she always hated when anyone around her was suffering. She glanced around, her eyes lighting on a familiar plant. She grabbed a handful of leaves, the same leaves that the Huntsman had used to numb the pain in Regina's ankle, and crushed them between her palms, reluctantly stepping forward to join the others.

"Try this," she said to Red, who was ripping a strip of fabric from David's ruined shirt. Snow applied the leaves and helped Red tie the bandage over them. "I hope this eases the pain."

David turned to look at the Princess, smiling as though he didn't hurt. "Thank you," he said softly, his eyes brimming with emotion, and Snow looked away.

Belle finished with the fire and sat down beside Red. "We are so very sorry, Princess. We should have listened to you."

Snow didn't offer any sign of forgiveness, just stiffly responded, "Call me Snow." She didn't feel like much of a princess anymore. She turned her gaze on Red. "Where did you leave my stepmother? I want to find her."

Red was silent for a moment, studying her bloodstained hands. "I didn't leave her, Princess. Snow." She lifted her eyes to meet Snow's. "We needed help to find you, and a man offered to lead us to you in exchange for the Queen. He took her."

Snow took a moment to process before springing to her feet. "You let someone take her?" she asked, her voice angrier than she'd ever heard it. Her head spun with thoughts of the reasons why a strange man would want Regina, none of them good. "What gives you the right to interfere in our lives like this? What is wrong with you?" The tears rising in her eyes lessened the force of her anger, but she didn't care.

Red covered her face with her hands, and David slowly rose to his feet, biting back the pain. "If you'll let us," he said, "we'll help you find her. We owe you at least that much."

Snow didn't respond, just storming off towards the horses, putting her arms around Rocinante's neck and trying to find some sort of comfort there. David watched her helplessly, leaning on a tree to keep himself upright.

Belle coaxed Red's hands away from her face and uncorked the skin of water the other girl carried, using a little to clean David's blood from her fingers. "It's not too late," she whispered, slipping a tentative arm around Red's waist. "We can do the right thing."

* * *

Leopold stormed back up to his chambers, ignoring the dead and injured guards and wolves he stepped over. The fight had been a massacre, costing him many of his finest men. No one was quite sure how many wolves had attacked, and there were rumors of a man who led them, but no such man was found among the casualties and the wolves left behind were relatively few.

The King turned to the advisor who'd followed him to his chambers, glaring at him as though he was responsible. "Call in the army and the local militias. I want every able-bodied man in the kingdom to take part in the search."

The advisor bit back his reservations, knowing better than to challenge the King when he was so desperately angry. "We'll put every man we can spare on the hunt for the Princess, Your Majesty."

"And the Queen," Leopold added. "But change the notices. I want Regina as soon as possible, and I want her dead."


	14. Transformations

**A/N: Jumping ahead in time now, because starting a story with Regina only 2-3 months pregnant means a lot of time to kill. I think everything's pretty clear, but let me know if questions arise!**

**This was a really fun chapter to write. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Six months later_

"All right, my dear, I'm off to visit Rumple."

Regina looked up to see Maleficent in the doorway. "What for?" She'd learned a lot about Maleficent in her months of captivity, one of the first things being that the sorceress detested Rumplestiltskin.

"To see about getting rid of you, of course," the blonde teased, stepping into the room and looking Regina up and down. "God, pregnant women are repulsive."

"So you've said." Regina rose to her feet and walked to the full length mirror, turning sideways to see the drastic changes to her once slender frame.

"I can't imagine why anyone does it." Maleficent sat on the edge of Regina's bed, wrinkling her nose as her prisoner turned towards her. "All of these months of looking and feeling hideous, and what do you get out of it? A child." She shuddered dramatically. "At least you won't have to keep yours."

Regina offered her a tight smile and sat down beside her. "I guess not," she said, absentmindedly resting a hand on the curve of her stomach.

"I suppose I should be grateful that I'm saddled with you and not one of Rumple's little nightmares," Maleficent said with a sigh. "He talked my dear friend Gothel into taking a stolen child off his hands and she locked herself up in a tower with the wretched thing. I haven't seen her in years."

A sudden smile bloomed across Regina's face as the baby kicked just under her hand. She supposed she should be used to it by now, but she was enthralled by everything having to do with her pregnancy, especially in these late stages. Between her sheltered childhood and her days in the palace, she'd never been around women who were with child. The ladies at court retreated to their country homes as soon as any changes began to show, and the one maid in her family home had been fired as soon as Cora picked up on her morning sickness. Regina longed to have someone to guide her, tell her what to expect, but all she had was Maleficent. "Would you like to feel her kick?" she teased.

Maleficent shot to her feet. "Absolutely disgusting. I'll see you later tonight."

Once Maleficent was gone, Regina crept out of her room and down the hall to the blonde's study. She had free reign within the house, but the building was charmed so that no one but Maleficent and Rumplestiltskin could leave or enter.

It had been about a month since Regina stumbled upon the study for the first time, but by now the space was familiar, filled with potions and ingredients and spell books. Even in the dark she could find the book she wanted, the one she'd been borrowing every time her captor left her alone. She carried it back to her room and stood in front of the mirror before opening to the page she'd been studying this week.

Rumplestiltskin had been right when he'd warned her that light magic wouldn't be easy for her, but Regina saw it more as an issue of circumstance than an inheritance from her mother. The longer she was trapped, the closer she got to giving up her child, the harder it was not to tap into despair, fear, and anger. Her history was filled with darkness, from her mother's tyranny to her husband's, and now her suffering was at the hands of the Dark One himself.

She closed her eyes and dipped again into her few happy memories, the effort sending a wave of exhaustion through her. All she could use was her fierce love for Snow, the knowledge that she was here now for her stepdaughter's protection. She recalled those few stolen moments during their week on the run, replaying them again and again until the magic surged within her.

The imprisoned Queen opened her eyes again and lowered her lips to the page, blowing until the letters lifted off the page. She closed the book, watching intently as the smoky wisps of magic collided with the surface of the mirror. For the first time all week, she saw tiny ripples forming everywhere the letters touched. They grew and traveled outward until the whole mirror was shimmering like water.

She spared no time on being excited that it worked, that she'd finally turned her ordinary mirror into an enchanted one. "Show me Snow White," she whispered breathlessly, and the image slowly came into focus.

* * *

Snow slid down easily from Rocinante's back, running towards the wild turkey she'd finally managed to fell with a perfectly aimed arrow. She knelt down and whispered her words of thanks before grabbing a second arrow out of the tree. It was higher than the bird was tall, and she turned and waved it towards David. "You're really terrible at this, you know."

"I'm a shepherd, not a hunter," David complained as he caught up with her.

Snow raised her eyebrows. "And I'm a princess. Don't use that excuse with me." She hurried to mount the horse again, waiting for David to gather the large turkey before she rode back towards camp.

She'd never intended to spend so long in the company of those who had separated her and Regina in the first place, but as the months went by she'd come to rely on them, and they on her. They were all fugitives now, David, Red, and Belle's sketches added to the papers hanging in every town. There had been too many close calls to count, and Snow's companions had gotten her out of a few really bad situations. They'd come to trust each other as they scoured every corner of the land for Rumplestiltskin.

The others had told Snow early about the ring, about how David was supposed to be her true love. She wasn't sure she believed it, and she certainly wasn't going to let some enchanted object dictate something so important. Especially when that object came from the hands of the very man who now held her stepmother captive. She'd been wary around David since the beginning, and early in their travels she generally stuck with the other girls.

For the past month, however, she'd found herself with him more and more. It wasn't by design on either of their parts. As time went on, Red and Belle had shifted from friendly smiles to lingering gazes, and when one volunteered for a duty the other was now quick to follow. The four had finally established an unspoken pattern when they made camp for the night. Red and Belle tended to firewood and collected whatever roots and greens they found nearby, while Snow and David hunted.

Of course, Snow was the only one who ever caught anything, but it was nice to have the company. And David's sense of direction, she thought with a laugh as he called out that she'd turned the wrong way.

She whispered for Rocinante to stop, realizing just seconds after David yelled to her that she'd reached the edge of the forest and was just feet away from being out in the open and exposed. She didn't turn the horse, though, instead calling back over her shoulder. "David, come see this."

David came up beside her, and they both stared silently at the building at the other side of the meadow. It was dark and a little decrepit, with large spires and black imposing windows. Exactly the house that had been described to Belle when she'd carefully cloaked herself and slipped into a village to gather intelligence.

"We're here," Snow breathed, and it took all her restraint to turn back to camp rather than charging across in search of Regina.

* * *

Once night fell, the full moon lighting the clearing where the four were camped, Red rose to her feet. The others had been all agreed on going straight to Rumplestiltskin's house and demanding Regina, but she'd talked them out of it, remembering the little she'd seen of his power and intellect all too well. Instead, she'd proposed collecting what information she could as her second self.

She headed into the forest alone, but even in her human form her increased wolfstime senses picked up on Belle's presence. She turned to face the other girl, who blushed at being caught. "I didn't know you were coming with me," Red said affectionately, retracing her steps until she stood just before Belle.

"I thought I'd see you off." Belle took one of Red's hands between hers. "I've never seen you as a wolf before. I'm curious."

Now it was Red's turn to feel self-conscious. Granny was the only person she'd ever made the change in front of, and she had no idea how it looked. "All right," she said after a pause.

"There's another reason I'm here," Belle said with a shy smile, although there was a quiet confidence in her eyes when they met Red's. She let go of Red's hand and closed the space between them, bringing her hands up to the other girl's shoulders before leaning in to kiss her.

It was a chaste kiss, but they lingered there, Red reaching up to brush her fingers through Belle's hair. Belle grabbed at the bow holding Red's cloak in place and they broke the kiss before she finished easing the garment off her.

Belle hardly noticed the amber glow in Red's eyes as the change began, instead focusing on how her lips curved slowly into a smile. And then Red turned and leaped, the transformation so swift and smooth that Belle was shocked to see a wolf come down instead of the girl. She watched the creature disappear into the forest and headed back to camp, tucking Red's cloak around her.


	15. Orders and Negotiations

**A/N: Things are going to start happening all at once as the various characters start converging. Hopefully the timeline won't be too hard to follow, but just know that everything after the first scene is happening on the same fateful afternoon.**

**Hello to the guest reviewers! I don't get to respond to you personally, but I so appreciate your feedback and support. And I'll take this moment to answer a few of your questions.**

**1. What does David look like in this story? This David is definitely shepherd-David, not Charming-James-David. However, I laughed so, so hard when we saw his old hair in The Shepherd. So maybe picture him as slightly less scruffy? I choose not to picture him at all because I just can't with that hair.**

**2. Can Snow and the Huntsman end up together? (This is for several of you, not just the guesties.) He's about twice her age, so no. It would be a really cute idea if she hadn't been abused by an older man already. Sorry.**

**3. Why yes, I am evil.**

* * *

Red had circled the building more times than she could count, but her repeated efforts were futile. There was only one human scent inside Rumplestiltskin's home, and no sounds to indicate another presence. She was about to give up, to slink back to camp, when she caught an unfamiliar sound. She cocked her ears, listening carefully to the new female voice and catching the woman's smell.

She slunk around the house again, body low to the ground. Whoever it was, she must have gotten in by magic, since there was no chance anyone had approached without Red's awareness. She crouched beneath an open window, closing off all her other senses so she could focus just on sound.

"You need to take her back," the woman was saying. "Nowhere in our agreement did it say she was going to give birth in my house. I won't allow it."

She recognized the distinctive voice of the strange man she'd dealt with months ago. "This is the critical moment. If you bring Regina here, there's a risk that she'll be found. The whole army's out searching for her."

"Now, Rumple, don't be so melodramatic. I'm bringing her here tomorrow night, and if you don't welcome her with open arms I will make you very sorry."

"And I'm the melodramatic one? Fine, bring her tomorrow."

Red took off like a shot, moonlight glinting off her fur as she crossed the meadow and slipped into the forest. So Regina wasn't here, but she would be, and with just enough time for the group to prepare.

She badly wanted to wake everyone with the good news, but when she returned to the camp all were sleeping peacefully. She couldn't bear to wake them, especially when she saw Belle with the red cloak over her like a blanket. She was clutching a handful of fabric to her chest, but the cloak was spread far enough for Red to nose her way under it. She transformed beneath the fabric, her human head the one that slipped out the top, and she curled against Belle and slept.

* * *

They sat just inside the shelter of the forest, waiting out the seemingly endless afternoon. Snow ignored the others, keeping her eyes focused on the dark building and fidgeting endlessly. This search had taken so long, and the thought of waiting for another hour, even another minute, was unbearable. She just wanted it to finally be over, to see Regina again and know that she was safe. It wouldn't be the end of their running, but the comfort her stepmother brought her would ease the path ahead.

She got to her feet, unable to sit any longer. "I'm going," she announced. "I want to talk with Rumplestiltskin and find out what he wants with her."

The conversation between her traveling companions stopped abruptly, all staring at her for a moment before David stood beside her. "You're not going alone."

Snow sighed, watching David put his hand on his sword. "I probably shouldn't, no, but you're not coming with me." His expression fell, but this moment was too important for Snow to sugarcoat the truth. "You're too impulsive, especially when you think I might be in danger. You're not going to be much help in negotiating."

"I only want to protect you," he said softly, not meeting the Princess's eyes.

"And you will," Red added gently. "Just from out here." She got up, turning to Snow. "If you want someone with you, take me. I know what we're dealing with, and it's my fault we have to do this in the first place."

Snow had felt no great love for Red when they'd first met, especially once the girl confessed the role she'd played in Regina's capture. After a few months watching Red wrestle with her guilt, though, she'd offered forgiveness. The guilt was still there, but it only assured Snow that Red sincerely wanted to help. "All right," she said. "Belle and David will stay here and keep watch. If we're gone too long, come and find us."

* * *

There had been rumors of the King's approach for days, but no one in the small militia camp believed it until they saw the golden carriage for themselves. Leopold spared no attention for the soldiers, instead pressing straight on to the commander's tent.

"I hear you've nearly pinpointed my wife's location," Leopold said.

The commander looked at the King in astonishment, as did the breathless woman who had previously been talking to the officer. "Your Highness," the commander said, and they both bowed low. "I've just received even better news."

The woman straightened up and met the King's eyes. "I've just come from the scouts, Sire. They saw the Princess and the fugitives watching over Rumplestiltskin's home."

Leopold's expression softened at the mention of his daughter. "Did they capture her?"

"We believe the Princess is there to find the Queen," the commander explained. "We are merely watching her until we know for certain."

"We have no time to waste," Leopold barked, all softness gone. He was unsure when Regina might have conceived, but as the months flew past he knew that his window to prevent the birth of the child was waning, if it wasn't too late already. He strode back out into the camp and ordered the small militia to prepare to move.

* * *

"Mal!"

Maleficent didn't budge from her vanity. She finished applying her lipstick carefully before turning her head to shout a response. "Can't this wait, Regina?"

Silence, and Maleficent smirked at her reflection, glad that Regina had backed down. Before she could reach for a makeup brush, however, the answer came in the form of a pained, wordless cry. She got up with a sigh and made her way towards Regina's room.

The blonde hadn't seen her prisoner since breakfast, and it seemed Regina had crawled back into bed soon after. She was there now, face pale and eyes wide with fear. "What is it?" Maleficent asked, the intended snap going out of her voice in response to her genuine concern for the young woman she'd become surprisingly fond of.

"I've been in pain all day," Regina admitted. "I thought it was nothing, but…"

"But?" Maleficent came closer to the bed, leaning down to get a better look at Regina.

Regina didn't speak, just grabbed Maleficent's arm tightly enough to leave bruises and crying out as the next contraction hit.

"Stop it," Maleficent said as she realized what was happening.

"Stop what?" Regina asked breathlessly, her grip loosening as the pain temporarily subsided.

"Having your damn baby in my house."


	16. The Cost of Love

"Princess. Red. To what do I owe this visit?"

Rumplestiltskin gestured for the two to follow him into the parlor, but Snow held her ground in the entryway. "Where's Regina?" she asked, her voice firm but not demanding.

The Dark One smiled wickedly, and both girls shivered. "She's not here. Why would I keep her where you could so easily find her?"

"Easily?" Red raised an eyebrow. "It took us months to locate you."

"I fail to see why that's my concern." Rumplestiltskin kept his eyes trained on Snow even though he was responding to her companion. "Don't look so worried, dearie. She's in perfect health. She'll be delivering my child any day now."

Snow paled. "You're the father?" she whispered in disbelief. While Regina had every reason to seek comfort with someone other than her husband, Snow was sure her stepmother would never do such a thing. Especially not with someone as treacherous as the Dark One.

"No, no, I haven't had the pleasure." His chilling laugh echoed through the entryway. "Come with me and I'll explain everything."

He turned and walked away. Snow and Red exchanged a nervous glance before following him to a bookcase laden with scrolls. Rumplestiltskin somehow knew exactly which one to reach for, and he unfurled it with a snap of his wrist.

"The child is your half-sister, dearie, never fear," he said as Snow ran her eyes past the tiny text filling the scroll and lit on Regina's handwriting at the very bottom. "Regina simply gave her up."

Snow grabbed the bottom of the scroll and lifted it towards her to see what Regina had written. _Rumplestiltskin guarantees that King Leopold will never again cause harm to Snow White or the above-mentioned child._ Suddenly the idea of the Dark One fathering the child seemed the less ridiculous option. She looked over the text frantically, seeing her name appear over and over again.

"What did you give her in exchange?" Red asked, fixing her gaze on Rumplestiltskin. She knew all too well the sorts of twisted deals he made, but the realization that her own deal had led to this one settled heavily on her.

"The Princess's safety." He rolled the scroll up again, and Snow looked from the paper to his dark eyes. "Now you've truly cost her everything, haven't you?" he asked cruelly.

Snow let out a choked sob, and Red set a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. "What can I do?" she pleaded. "I'll give you anything."

"No, you won't," Red said firmly before Rumplestiltskin had a chance to smile at the Princess's words. "Don't make a deal with him. There's no telling what it will cost you."

"I want to see her," Snow insisted. "She's the only one who has any right to tell me what to do."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Rumplestiltskin replied. "She's quite a distance away."

Before Snow had a chance to reply, a scream sounded upstairs, shocking the Dark One just as much as his guests. Red sniffed the air, catching two scents that hadn't been there moments before. One matched the visitor from the night before, and the other was definitely female. "It's her," she said, giving Snow's shoulder a shake. "They just arrived by magic."

Snow and Red ran back towards the entryway, towards the stairs, but Rumplestiltskin suddenly appeared in front of them in a whirl of smoke. "You'll be leaving now," he said, opening the double front doors with a flick of his finger. Shock registered on his face immediately, and the girls turned to see Leopold stride in with soldiers behind him.

* * *

"Where are we?" Regina asked breathlessly as the smoke cleared and she found herself in an unknown bed in an unknown room. Maleficent had taken her hand in order to move them, and Regina squeezed it too hard as more pain tore through her.

"Rumple's," Maleficent said, prying Regina's fingers from hers. "He and I have both fulfilled our parts of the deal, and I don't particularly want you to ruin my nice sheets." She finally freed herself with a shake of her hand. "I suppose now it's your turn to fulfill your deal."

Regina watched wide-eyed as Maleficent started for the door. "Please," she called, desperation joining the pain in her voice. "Don't leave me alone here."

The blonde turned to see the first few tears trail down Regina's pale face. "I'm going to get him, and then I'm going to leave," she said slowly, her resolve weakening anyway.

"I'm so afraid," Regina whispered, hoping the simple words would carry all the meaning behind them. The fear of pain, of the unknown, of her total loss of control over her own body mixed with her fear of the deal she'd made and the future she'd condemned her child to. The last thing she wanted was Rumplestiltskin hovering over her, waiting to collect his prize. Another cry tore from her throat as the pain overwhelmed her once more, the contractions coming harder and faster now.

Despite herself, Maleficent softened and returned to the bedside, pulling over a nearby chair and offering her hand for more squeezing. "You're fine," she said, reaching up with her free hand to brush sweaty strands of hair back from Regina's face. "There's nothing to be frightened of." She tried not to betray the fact that she was frightened herself.

When Regina screamed again and again, her voice going ragged, Maleficent touched fingertips to the brunette's temple and sent a light pulse of magic through her to soothe the pain. Regina's grip on her hand relaxed slightly. "Thank you."

"I can't do more than that," Maleficent said, her eyes now more panicked than Regina's. Staying in the room was hard enough, but moving between the Queen's legs to deliver the child was where she drew the line. "Can I get Rumplestiltskin for you?"

Regina nodded slightly, and the door to the room suddenly flew open to reveal the Dark One himself. "You called?"

* * *

David pulled out his sword as soon as he saw the royal carriage approach. "King Leopold," he said lowly, practically growling. Snow had never told her companions her reasons for fearing her father, but the mere fact that she'd vowed never to go back there was enough cause for alarm.

Belle set a hand on David's arm, forcing him to lower his weapon as the King's soldiers followed the carriage into the clearing. They were a small group, not even thirty men, but certainly too many for only two to face. "You can't just charge in there. It would be suicide."

David turned on her, fury flashing in his eyes. He pulled the ring from his pocket and held it up to her. "Our true loves are in there, and you don't want to defend them?"

Belle sighed. "Of course I want to help them, but we need a strategy if we're to actually make a difference."

David's expression didn't soften, but he sheathed his sword. "You don't even care about her, do you?" he asked harshly. "If you did you wouldn't hesitate."

Belle snatched the ring from his hand, and before she even realized what she was doing she pitched it as far as she could into the forest. "I care about Red greatly," she said, turning back towards her companion. "But it's not because some enchanted jewelry told me to. It's because I _know_ her, David. Because over the past few months I've become unable to imagine my life without her. Because she's brave and kind, and she tries so hard to fix the regrettable things she's done." When David didn't respond, keeping all his attention on the soldiers, she continued. "No matter how many times you rescue Snow, you won't earn her love. Not until you realize that true love isn't the means to an end. It's the end itself. Just believing in it doesn't make it happen."

"I can't just give up," he said, looking at Belle sadly. "I love her."

"I know," she said, biting back the urge to tell him that he was in love with a picture from a Wanted poster, not the flesh and blood Princess. Now was not the time. She hadn't been able to hold back all the things she'd already said, provoked as she was by David's insinuation that she didn't love Red, but they needed to be united now more than ever. "I never said anything about giving up."

David scanned the field again, trying to think what Red would do. He glanced at the sky instinctively. The sun hadn't yet set, but off in the pale blue he could see the outline of the moon. He didn't know if it would work, if it would be enough to help his friend change, but the mere possibility was comforting.


	17. Both Daughters

**A/N: You guys are so funny. This most recent round of comments has been so fun to read. So as thanks for making me laugh (evilly) all day, here's what you've been waiting for. There's probably going to be a bit of a wait before I can post the next chapter, since 16 and 17 took a really long time to write and I'm still working on the next. But I think this will hold you for a few days.**

**I would apologize for skipping the actual birth, but like Maleficent I'm a little grossed out by all that stuff.**

* * *

Red brought one hand to her hip and one to her throat, freeing her dagger and her red cloak simultaneously. It was still too early for a transformation, but she could feel the pull of the moon shifting something inside her. Her eyes glowed amber, her senses heightened, and the strength of the wolf made itself known as she shouldered her way past the King hard enough to knock him on his back. She threw herself into the fray, burying her dagger to the hilt in one soldier and leaving it there. She might not have sharp teeth or claws, but she fought unarmed with superhuman strength. Familiar smells reached her over the stench of blood, and when she identified them as Belle and David she fought harder, tearing limbs and crushing throats in her need to get to and protect them.

Snow noticed Rumplestiltskin running up the stairs and followed, but she hesitated halfway up and turned to take in the battle. She could see David and Belle making their way through the front door, staying close together and lashing out with swords. Regina's cries reached her ears, but she grabbed for her bow as she saw Belle nearly overwhelmed. She fired off two quick arrows, hitting both soldiers perfectly and allowing Belle to move on unimpeded.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Leopold had gathered himself and made it to the step below his daughter. He ripped the bow from her hands and broke it over his knee, his expression angrier than any Snow had ever seen on his face.

"You are killing your own men," he told her.

"They are not my men," she replied, keeping her voice level despite his destruction of the only weapon she had. "And if they are, I'll call them off immediately."

"Where's Regina?" Leopold asked, changing tactics when it became clear that he wasn't going to easily talk his daughter into returning to his side.

"She's not here." Snow had never lied to her father before, and she couldn't help a pang of guilt even after all that had changed.

Regina cried out again, louder and longer, and both father and daughter ran the rest of the way up the stairs at the sound of her voice. Snow easily beat the King, not only much younger but fit from months of dangerous living. She stopped at the top; as much as she wanted to see Regina, she wanted even more to keep Leopold far away from her stepmother.

"Let me through," Leopold bellowed. He recognized the sounds of labor and drew his sword, seeing his window of opportunity nearly fading away. Killing Regina would be excused now that he'd painted her as traitor and kidnapper, but killing an heir to the throne was a different matter. The only chance was to attack before the birth was complete, and his blade was laced with a fast-spreading poison that was sure to rid him of both mother and child.

Snow's voice was similarly laced with venom as she responded to his order. "You'll have to kill me first."

"I am your father _and_ your King, Snow White," Leopold said, raising his sword. "You must obey me, you ungrateful child."

"Ungrateful?" Snow toed the edge of the top step, bringing herself closer and forcing him to look up to see her. "You stole my innocence," she spat. She'd never acknowledged the abuse to him, never spoken of it to anyone but Regina. "You made me believe that it was my fault, that I was doing something wrong. Regina risked her life and her child to get me away from you. She's the only parent I have."

Leopold had never raised a hand against his daughter, but the same blind rage that had driven him to batter Regina for years brought his sword down on Snow in the desperate need to shut her up. He didn't realize his mistake until Snow stumbled backwards, looking down at the line he'd slashed diagonally across her torso. She fell to her knees, and Leopold watched in horror as the bloody wound foamed yellow with the poison. It was the last sight the King saw before David ran a sword through him from behind.

* * *

When the baby let out her first cry, Regina, too, broke into tears. The relief that they'd both survived, that her daughter was healthy, was already overwhelming. The sight of Rumplestiltskin holding her child drove her over the edge, and she sobbed into Maleficent's shoulder, emotionally and physically drained.

"I'm surprised you're still here, Maleficent," Rumplestiltskin said, cradling the newborn carefully but paying no attention to her. "It would ruin your reputation if anyone found out you were so soft."

"I would do anything for a friend," Maleficent shot back. "You wouldn't know, seeing as you have none."

Rumplestiltskin gasped in mock hurt. "I'm absolutely wounded, dearie."

The door to the room suddenly flew open, and all three looked up to see David with a blood-soaked Snow in his arms. Regina cried out in horror, and David hurried her over to the already bloody bed and set her beside her stepmother. "Snow," Regina whispered, bringing a hand to the girl's cheek. She couldn't lose both daughters, one after the other. She hovered her free hand over the festering wound, trying to summon enough magic to heal Snow, but her exhaustion and despair were too much to overcome.

"Father," Snow said weakly, her eyes searching Regina's, desperate to impart the message.

Regina's heart sank even more at that one word. She didn't need for Snow to call for her in her final moments, but the thought of her wanting the very man who had driven them to run in the first place was unbearable.

She gathered what little strength she had and turned to Maleficent. "I can't heal her," she said, her expression that of a woman who was utterly broken. "Please, don't let her die."

"This will _really_ destroy my reputation," Maleficent grumbled, even as she gave Regina a reassuring smile. She reached over the Queen to bring magic to the Princess, her hand trembling with the effort of healing not only the gash but the damage from the poison.

David stayed standing at the side of the bed, watching in relief as the sorceress worked her magic. No longer fearing Snow's death, he watched the sad, pale face of the Queen. "She's not asking for her father," he said softly, and Regina raised her reddened eyes to see him. "Believe me. He's the one who did this. But he's gone now."

Regina's initial reaction was shock. She couldn't believe that Leopold had it in him to fatally wound his beloved daughter.

And then she realized what Snow had been trying to tell her and sat up quickly despite the pain. Maleficent, confident that she'd stabilized the Princess, drew her hand back, and Regina rose shakily on her feet, holding onto a bedpost as she fixed her gaze on Rumplestiltskin.

"Give me my child."

The Dark One looked at her quizzically. "And why would I do that?"

"The contract," Regina said, wishing she could find solid enough footing to go to him and take the baby immediately. "I added that Leopold could never cause harm to Snow. I'm pretty sure this counts as harm."

Rumplestiltskin went pale. He'd forgotten about the amendment, thought of the deal as finally complete.

"Now!" She shouted the last word, and Snow's eyelashes fluttered at the sound. The Princess focused her eyes just in time to see Regina take her daughter into her arms for the first time.


	18. Completely Free

**A/N: I went through SO many baby names for this kid. I can't even remember how many I went through. I finally settled on one last night, and as I was looking at the page for the name I'd chosen it gave a little list of suggestions of names people who liked that name also liked. I clicked on one of them, and as soon as I saw the meaning I knew it was absolutely the right choice. So here it is, hope you like it as much as I do!**

* * *

When the King fell, what remained of the militia made a hasty retreat. The months-long search for the Princess and Queen had taken a toll on the kingdom. At first, the people had responded to the King's panic, frightened for their beloved Snow White, but as more and more were drafted to take part in what was beginning to seem like a hopeless mission, their patience waned. The frenzy with which Leopold called for Regina's head began to frighten them. And then there had been the posting of new pictures, Snow's alleged kidnappers, which sent a ripple through the kingdom. The realization that one of the fugitives was the daughter of a nobleman had outraged others of high rank, especially once Sir Maurice fought back with equally wild claims that his Belle had been kidnapped as well. Once David and Red had been identified as peasants, their class rose up as well, furious that they were considered the main culprits. As Leopold grew more frantic, as he called for death without mercy for all three teenagers, the people of all ranks agreed that the King had lost his mind.

The soldiers were quietly happy to see him dead and had no desire to press on with their fight. They wanted to be far from the Dark One's home, and they certainly didn't want to be bested by the two young girls who had somehow managed to stand their ground.

Red growled at them as they retreated, the wolf in her itching to go after them. Belle searched for the cloak and threw it over her just before Red could follow the men out the door. She smiled, relieved, as Red came back to her, eyes returning to their usual cool blue. They embraced tightly, each glad to see the other alive.

"We should make sure David and Snow—" Belle began, but Red cut her off with a kiss, deeper than either girl had dared the night before. Red couldn't say if it was relief that the inexperienced swordswoman had gotten through the fight alive, or gratitude for Belle coming in after her in the first place, or just residual hunger from the wolf. She just knew that, for once, there was something more important than David. Some_one_ more important. Belle sighed against her lips and pulled Red closer, grabbing onto the cloak to keep her there.

"Um."

The male voice caused them to spring back from each other, blushes rising in both girls. They turned to see David at the foot of the stairs, his clothes soaked in blood.

"Not mine," he said quickly, seeing four panicked eyes taking in his appearance. "It's from Snow, but she's been mostly healed. She's going to be all right."

"And the Queen?" Red asked.

"Well, and keeping her child." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked between the two girls. "I'll leave you two alone, then?"

Belle gave him a slight nod before turning to kiss Red's cheek. The other girl turned to face her full on, and David slipped out the door.

* * *

"Hi there."

A smirking Maleficent had escorted a fuming Rumplestiltskin from the room once the baby was safely in the mother's arms. David had left moments later, gazing longingly at Snow before closing the door behind him. Snow had drifted out of consciousness again, and Regina found herself and her child alone aside from her stepdaughter's exhausted form.

She held the child as tightly as she dared, not wanting to hurt her but feeling the need to keep her as close as possible. "Hi," she cooed again, tracing a finger down the side of the infant's face. She took in the downy patch of dark hair, the impossibly tiny fingers, and those dark eyes that were staring right up at her. It was the trust in those eyes that got her, as if she hadn't just moments before nearly given the child away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, leaning down to press a feathery kiss to her daughter's forehead. "I will never let you go again." But then she thought of her own mother and shook her head. "No, I will let you have your freedom. But I'll never leave you."

She laughed even as tears rose to her eyes, thinking herself ridiculous for rewording an apology to an infant. But her heart had never been this full. The tears spilled down her face and yet she smiled. "I just love you so much already." She wasn't sure if she'd breathed the words aloud or merely thought them, so she said it again. "I love you."

The baby let out a quiet cry, more of a mewl. Regina wasn't sure if it was in response to her own crying or some other need, but she carefully rose from the bed and walked the child over to the window, putting some distance between them and Snow to avoid waking the girl.

"Shh." She tapped a gentle finger to the child's chest and smiled in wonder as a tiny hand wrapped around the digit. She began to sing softly, hoping that would quiet the continuing cries. She didn't know any lullabies – Cora had never been the sort to indulge in that kind of thing – so she sang what she did know, a tune that had been wildly popular during the year of her debut ball. She swayed to the music, continuing even after the baby's eyes had slipped shut.

"Can I see her?"

Regina looked up, startled, to see that Snow was awake and had propped herself up on the pillows so that she could observe mother and child. Regina went immediately to her side, resuming her seat on the bed and holding the baby close to Snow.

"She's beautiful," Snow said, not trusting her own strength enough to take the child into her arms. "What's her name?"

"I thought that was supposed to be your job," Regina said. She hadn't allowed herself to think of names during her captivity, all too aware of the harsh truth that she wouldn't be the one to name the child.

"Anaya," Snow said simply, too tired to tell Regina the whole story of how their cloaked supply runs always involved Belle needing new books despite everyone's protests. One of her selections had been on the meanings of names, and Snow asked to borrow it and looked through for something that wasn't a prison sentence, like Regina, or too much to live up to, like Snow White. "It means 'completely free.'"

Regina smiled brilliantly, bringing the child back to her chest and looking down on her sleeping face. "You will be free," she whispered. "I promise you that, Anaya."

* * *

The attendants to the King's carriage were the only ones who hadn't run from the Dark One's home, and they watched the movements in the house with suspicion, not sure if they were safe. As soon as they saw Snow White, bloodied and weakened in David's arms, they sprang into action, driving to the bottom of the steps so that she could be easily deposited into the vehicle. "At your service, Princess," the footman said, bowing low.

"She's not Princess any longer." They turned to see Regina come down the stairs with Belle at her side to help her and a baby in her arms. "Snow White is now your Queen."

"What does that make you?" Snow asked, turning her head to watch David help Regina in while the servants went inside to retrieve the crumpled body of the King.

"Just Regina," she said with a smile, setting Anaya in her lap. "Mother of the Princess."

"Of the Queen, too." Snow rested her head back against the seat but managed to smile back. "You were ready to give her up for me."

Regina glanced down at the sleeping infant before raising eyes full of emotion to meet Snow's. "I would do anything to protect you, Snow."

"And I you."

David came to the window nearest Snow, and she turned lazily to see him looking at her in a way he never had before. As if, for the first time, he realized that she didn't love him, that what he considered inevitable might never come to pass.

"I can't thank you enough for what you did," Snow told him warmly, genuinely grateful. If David hadn't been watching her closely, if he hadn't torn up the stairs when he saw Leopold raise his sword, she, Regina, and Anaya would certainly all be dead.

"Will I see you again?" he asked, coloring at the realization that Regina was watching them. She turned away as soon as she noticed, busying herself with Anaya. "Would you _want_ to see me again? Soon?"

"If I'm to be Queen, I imagine I'll be quite busy," she said.

"Oh." He made himself smile anyway, and Snow could see more honesty and more love in his eyes than she ever had. "What if I sent you a letter?" he asked softly. "Do you think, if you had the time, you might reply?"

"Yes." She watched his eyes light up, and then glanced past him. Red and Belle were standing by the horses Red had run to fetch from the woods, Rocinante already hitched to the carriage for his return to the palace. "Give them my thanks as well."

Snow arranged herself to lie flat on the seat once David left them, and Regina took the backwards-facing seat to give her space. The carriage began to move, jolting just enough to wake Anaya but not enough to make her cry. Regina offered her finger again to distract her. "What was all that?" she asked her stepdaughter. "He looks absolutely smitten with you."

"He is." Snow folded her hands over the tender skin of her healing stomach.

"It seems you'll have many stories to tell me when we get home," Regina teased.

"I don't love him back," Snow said simply. "I have a million things to tell you but he isn't any of them."

Regina didn't press for more, just watching while Snow closed her eyes. She sang again, this time to both of her girls.


	19. The Way Home

Rumors somehow spread faster than riders on horseback. As David, Red, and Belle passed on the road, they began to notice villagers pulling the Wanted posters from trees and buildings. Some waved to them, their smiling faces a reassurance that the kingdom trusted and even admired them.

When they reached the village Red and David called home, it seemed that once again the news had flown past them. There was a crowd waiting for them, Granny naturally at the front. She ran forward to wrap both Red and David in a hug before allowing the shepherd to go to his mother and focusing her attention solely on Red. "I was afraid I'd never see you again," Granny said, and it was the first time that she'd ever admitted to Red that she was frightened of anything at all. Red held on tightly, not speaking, just breathing in the woman who smelled like home and who she hadn't realized she'd missed this much.

Belle stood quietly, a little awkwardly, by the horses. David had asked if she wished to part ways back on the main road, but she felt no pull to return home. She was looking forward to a bed and a bath and a normal meal as much as any of them, but she knew what going home would mean. She was no longer the daughter of a minor nobleman; she was a celebrity now, and she could only imagine all of the suitors who would be ready to pounce as soon as she arrived.

She couldn't go back to that when she'd finally gotten a taste of adventure, of real love.

She glanced in Red's direction to see her and Granny looking her way, and she joined them when Red beckoned. The girl in the red cloak slipped her arm instinctively around Belle's waist as she approached, not caring who saw. "Granny, this is Belle."

Granny smiled warmly, surprising Belle when she embraced her. "So you're the one who finally got Red to stop pining over David?"

Belle blushed, glad for the comforting feel of Red's fingers at her side. "She did most of that on her own, but I might have helped."

Granny pulled back. "Well, I tried and never succeeded her whole life. Maybe I just wasn't pretty enough." She winked at Red, who turned her namesake color.

"Granny!" Red hissed, but Belle's smile instantly reassured her.

"I guess I'll stop embarrassing you and get supper ready." Granny turned again to Belle. "Will you be joining us?"

"Yes," Belle said, looking up into the eyes of the girl who was all the home she wanted.

* * *

It took all of Regina's will to stand there beside Snow facing the sealed casket. Not because of the itching to get away from Leopold that she'd known for so long, but because she couldn't bear being away from Anaya. She trusted Johanna, Snow's beloved nursemaid, with her child – after all, it was Johanna who had stepped in the moment the carriage pulled up and a pale, clueless Regina stepped out with her bawling baby, Johanna who had taught her how to nurse and swaddle and do everything else Anaya required. But leaving Anaya in the arms of another, even someone who could care for her far better than Regina herself, was too much of a reminder of the first moments of the child's life, and Regina ached to be with her again.

But Snow needed her now, so Regina did her best to stay present, touching a hand to her back when she saw the conflict in her stepdaughter's eyes.

"You can cry, Snow. It's all right." She stroked small circles on the girl's back, hoping to soothe her. "He was a good father to you for sixteen years before all this madness."

"How can you say that?" Snow asked, eyes brimming with tears anyway. "After all he did to you, to us."

"Because there's good and bad in everyone." Regina drew the girl into her arms, letting Snow sag into her and bury her wet eyes in her stepmother's shoulder. "Leopold took everything away from me, and I can't forgive him for that. But in return he gave me the two people I love most in the world."

Snow smiled against the velvet of Regina's dress, clasping her tighter. "You love me more than your own father?"

"My father just stayed here and wrung his hands and did nothing the whole time we were gone. He would never step before a blade to save my life." She drew back enough to see the girl's eyes. "And if Rumplestiltskin had asked me to choose between my child and my father, I don't believe I would have made a deal with him."

Snow let her tears spill out freely, pulling closer to Regina again.

* * *

_Dearest Snow,_

_Has returning home been as strange for you as it has for me? I'm surprised every morning when I wake in my own bed, and I can hardly believe that it has been two weeks since I saw you last. Red and Belle find it strange, too, and have decided to keep living as we did for all those months rather than remaining at home. There have been rumors of a Yaoguai attacking mountain villages, and they have joined the efforts to track and kill it._

_As for me, there will be no more adventuring for some time. My father died just a few years back, and since then my mother and I have had to work alone to tend the flock and the farm. She lost most of the crops while I was gone, and I having been working constantly since I came back to try to make up for all the months she was without me. I dare not leave her again, so I told Red and Belle to go on their quest without me._

_I hope that you have healed completely from your injury, and that Regina and the baby are well._

_Yours,_

_David_

* * *

_Dear David,_

_It has been more than strange to return home. Almost everything has changed, and I've changed myself. To think that I left an idle princess and have returned a queen, that Regina and I left almost as strangers and returned so close. I've been quite busy with my new duties, and I often feel I have no idea what I'm doing, but fortunately my father left behind a team of trustworthy advisors. And I have Regina to encourage me, and little Anaya to cheer me when I'm overwhelmed._

_With the help of the palace physician and Regina's magic, I am healed, although I still have a scar to show for it. All are healthy and quite happy here._

_I'm sorry to hear of your family's troubles. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. For now, I'm enclosing the 50,000 crowns that my father set aside as a reward for Regina's capture. Seeing as I helped you spend almost all of your initial reward, it's the least I can do. Please see to it that Red and Belle get what they need for their trip, and put the rest to use on your farm._

_Best,_

_Snow White_


	20. Epilogue

**A/N: Well, here we are at the end of the story. I've been going back and forth about whether to continue it, but I've decided it's best to stop here. Regina is really the heart of the story to me, and her arc has come to an end.**

**Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and faveing. Special thanks to ouatevilregal8 for keeping me on track, and the kinkmeme anon who gave me the initial prompt for "Leaving."**

* * *

_Four years later_

Regina ran into the garden at the first cry, panic on her features as she rushed towards the little girl who had tripped and fallen. She crouched down to help Anaya up, pulling the small body close to hers. "It's okay, darling. I'm here."

Anaya blubbered something about her knee and Regina looked to see a minor scrape. It would be so easy to heal with magic, even after years without practice, but Regina couldn't break the promise she'd made back when her daughter was still an infant. She would never use magic on her child unless the girl's life was in danger. She would never use magic at all. She remembered how frightened she'd always been of Cora's powers, and she never wanted Anaya to feel that way. So although she desperately wished she could put a stop to the tears and take away the pain, she scooped Anaya into her arms and carried her inside.

"All better?" she asked after she'd washed and bandaged the scrape, and also pressed a kiss to the wrapping.

Anaya nodded, tears still in her eyes.

Regina ran a hand over her daughter's dark curls, smiling despite the fact that every tear Anaya shed felt like a wound to her heart. "How much do I love you?" The girl's face brightened at that, and she flung her arms wide. "Bigger than that," Regina said, taking advantage of Anaya's position to tickle her sides. The girl giggled, trying to squirm away until her mother stopped and picked her up again. "More than the moon."

The girl wrapped her arms around Regina's neck as they walked through the palace. The royal family had moved into the opposite wing of the palace after Leopold's death, Snow and Regina wanting to be far away from the rooms in which the former King had hurt them. Snow kept her chambers on the second floor so that she could easily get to the throne room if needed. Regina and Anaya lived a floor above, the daughter's nursery connected to the mother's room.

"I love you too," Anaya said as Regina stopped on the second floor and made her way down the hall.

Regina kissed the girl's cheek and then knocked on the door before her. "Who else do you love, princess?"

Snow opened the door and Anaya squealed in delight, always happy to see her beloved sister. "Snowy!" she said, running into the room as soon as Regina put her down.

Snow was in the midst of preparing for a wedding that evening, but she was happy to let Anaya play with her gloves and shoes while a maid attended to her hair. Regina sat back and watched them, her smile never fading or faltering. "Doesn't Snow look pretty?" she asked Anaya when Snow stood up with her hair pulled back off her face, radiant in an elegant lavender dress.

"She's always pretty," Anaya said with a firm nod, pulling off the gloves that were too long for her arms and attempting to help Snow put them on.

Snow lifted the child up to see herself in the mirror. "So are you," she said, punctuating her statement with a kiss to Anaya's cheek before letting her down again.

"And Mama," the girl added, and Regina came forward to join them with a smile.

"Thank you, my darling." She turned her attention to Snow, taking in her stepdaughter's flawless appearance. "You really do look something special tonight. Is your pen pal going to be there?"

Snow went just pink enough to answer Regina's question. "Well, he has known Red longer than anyone, and he's the whole reason she met Belle in the first place, so I can't imagine he'd miss it."

"Can I go?" Anaya asked hopefully. Regina had let her come along to part of the last ball Snow had thrown, and she'd been mesmerized by the gowns and the dancing.

"It's past your bedtime." Regina sank down onto her knees to put herself at eye level with her daughter. "But maybe after supper we can put on fancy dresses and have a little ball of our own, just you and me."

Anaya's eyes lit up, and she ran into Snow's closet, to the back corner where Snow kept the best of her childhood dresses. Snow offered a hand to Regina as she got up again. "You make her so happy," the Queen said, giving Regina's hand a squeeze before she let go. "I hope that when I'm a mother I'm like you."

"Starting a family so soon?" Regina teased, and Snow went redder than before.

"Not anytime soon, I promise." Snow studied her reflection, tucking a strand of hair that had come loose back behind her ear. "I haven't seen David in years. Who knows what will happen?"

Regina stepped between Snow and the mirror to meet her eyes. "You just find your happiness, Snow. That's the only thing I want for you."

"And what about your happiness?" Over the past few years, the court had seen almost as many suitors for the former Queen as the current one, but Regina had never shown any interest in remarrying.

Anaya came back into the room with a pink dress in tow, and Regina smiled at her and then at Snow, pressing a hand over her heart. "I already have it," she said, reaching down to touch her child's dark curls. "More happiness than I ever thought possible."


End file.
